Evergreen
by Gindokei
Summary: InuKag. Kagome left the Sengoku Jidai after the Shikon no Tama brought Kikyo back to life. Twelve years later, Kikyo and Inuyasha's daughter Kagome sets out to find the first girl her father ever befriended... T for language. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter One

_Evergreen_

**AN: Thought I'd stick with the canon version, I like it a lot more and there's more room for improvisation. (:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

**

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE

_I wish… I wish Kikyo would come back. I know he misses her… I wish he could see her again…_

Looking back, Kagome wondered how on earth she'd managed to do such a stupid thing. Out of all the crazy things she'd ever done, this had definitely been the craziest. Had she lost all sanity? Why on earth would she want to bring back the dead priestess, her eternal rival? Because even if Kikyo had stayed dead – even if Kagome had stayed in the Sengoku Jidai with him, she would have always known that he missed her, and thought of her.

She hadn't meant to bring Kikyo back to life. It had just slipped her mind that at the time, she was holding the completed, purified Shikon no Tama, which would grant her a single wish.

She was so tired of the silence between them. After Naraku's defeat, she had expected everything to settle down. And in a way, it had. Sango and Miroku had gotten married – and even though it had only been three months since Naraku's defeat, Sango was already expecting. Well, she would have to start early if she wanted to bear Miroku as many children as he'd wanted…

Kagome bit down on the inner lining of her cheek to suppress her smile as she gazed sadly at the hanyou.

Unfortunately, the fight against Naraku had inspired one too many casualties. Kikyo had died before being able to see the completed Shikon no Tama.

But surely, one couldn't die a second time? That was what Kagome tried to tell herself. Kikyo had never been alive in her mud and clay form – she had merely existed, fed by dead souls. But such words had no effect on Inuyasha.

The hanyou hadn't said as many as three words ever since Naraku's defeat. He took solace in the silence around him – Kagome noticed that his absences became more and more frequent when Sango and Miroku left their group to settle down in Kaede's village, taking Shippo with them.

The thought hurt her. Did he care only about their happiness? Now that he was left alone with Kagome, did he see no point in continuing to pretend to be cheerful?

_No,_ the little voice in her head spoke. _It isn't like that at all, and you know it. Inuyasha knows he can be himself around you – he knows you understand him. He knows he doesn't have to hide anything from you._

Even the voice in her head lied to her. Was she really that pathetic? That pitiful? Of course he hid things from her – why else would he disappear into the forest every day? She knew who he was thinking of when he looked at the trees.

"Inuyasha…" she finally spoke. The hanyou looked up slowly, his triangular ears flicking agitatedly.

"Hmm?" His voice was distracted. "Did you say something?"

Her heart broke at the smile he tried to force onto his face. So he _was_ trying, even for her.

"Inuyasha…" She reached out a hand timidly. "Kikyo… Kikyo is probably happier now."

Immediately after the words escaped her, she regretted them. Inuyasha's golden eyes narrowed.

"How do you know that?" She had expected anger, but got only weary sadness. "You don't know that… she would have been happier being alive."

Kagome pressed the Shikon no Tama against her chest, her blue-gray eyes widening.

"I didn't… I didn't mean it like that." Inuyasha made a 'keh' sound and turned away, staring at the dark forest surrounding them.

It was then that she made her ridiculous, life-altering wish.

The Shikon no Tama heard her, and lit up in her cupped hands. Kagome flinched, screwing her eyes shut as the clearing was filled with a bright, blinding light. Inuyasha closed his eyes as well, wondering what on earth was going on.

When the light cleared, there was someone else standing in the clearing.

Kikyo still wore the garb of a priestess, although it was tattered and bloodstained from her last stand. Her long black hair was loose, and fell past her waist. It looked tangled and unkempt. Her blue-gray eyes, so like Kagome's, were round with shock, as if she had abruptly been jerked out of one world and dumped into another – which, of course, she had. Kagome wondered if that was the kind of expression she'd had on her face when she'd entered the Sengoku Jidai. Probably not… she had probably looked more terrified.

Inuyasha stiffened as a familiar scent reached his nose. He turned his head slowly, eyes widening as he fixed his gaze on the once-dead priestess.

"Kikyo…?" His voice was soft and disbelieving. He got to his feet, staring at the woman.

"Kikyo?" he repeated, sounding less confused. His voice was oddly tender – Kagome had only heard him take on such a tone a few times before. How she would have loved him to be speaking to her in that voice! "Is it you?"

Kikyo stared at the grass below her feet, raising one hand and examining the crisscrossing blue veins under the surface of her skin. She moved each slender finger individually, wondering if such hands really belonged to her.

At the sound of a name, her gaze flew upwards, fixing itself on the speaker. Long, silver hair – bright golden eyes. Kikyo stared quizzically at the hanyou as he repeated the name.

"Kikyo…" The name sounded familiar. Was it her name? The priestess closed her eyes for a heartbeat. "Yes. I am Kikyo."

"Kikyo…" Inuyasha still looked stunned as he stepped closer.

The priestess stared at him, trying to recall who he was and what he meant to her.

"Inu…yasha?" The hanyou's eyes flickered with countless emotions as she spoke his name.

Kagome was a silent spectator as the two approached each other cautiously. Fighting back tears, she turned her head aside to pull at the straps of her gigantic yellow backpack. When she turned back to Inuyasha and Kikyo, they were in each other's arms.

The schoolgirl inhaled sharply, refusing to let her tears escape. It was childish of her to cry – hadn't she herself made the wish for Kikyo to come back? Kagome blinked rapidly, brushing some black hair out of her eyes and staring at the two, expressionless.

Finally, she hefted the backpack and swung it onto her shoulders. The sudden movement seemed to remind Inuyasha that there was someone else in the clearing, and he broke his embrace with Kikyo.

"Ka…Kagome." He spoke her name as if it was a foreign word. Realization flooded into his eyes as he seemed to remember the girl. "Kagome…"

Kikyo stood motionless as Inuyasha approached Kagome. "Did… did you do this?" he asked her. Kagome did not reply with words or actions and continued to stare at him dumbly.

"Yes." The reply came from Kikyo, who slowly moved towards the two. Kagome's gaze snapped towards her look-a-like as Kikyo continued to speak. "You made a wish on the purified Shikon no Tama, Kagome. It is now gone."

Gone…

"Does that mean the bone eater's well has closed as well?" Kagome wasn't sure what exactly made the well work, but she knew it had something to do with the Shikon no Tama. Would she be stuck in this era forever? Doomed to watch as Inuyasha and Kikyo's love blossomed?

"No." Kikyo's voice was gentle, far different from the cold tones of the clay and mud body she had inhabited earlier. "You have three days to decide what you want to do, Kagome. After that, the well will close forever."

Inuyasha's gaze darted from Kikyo to Kagome. Three days? What would Kagome choose?

The selfish part of him wanted her to stay. She couldn't leave, not after all they had been through! She was his friend – his very first friend…

_Don't be so self-centered,_ the other part of him chided. _You can't have both Kagome and Kikyo. You knew that from the beginning._

It was true. He couldn't have both of them. And he knew – he knew that Kagome knew who he had chosen.

I'm sorry, he wanted to say to her. I'm sorry, but I've chosen Kikyo.

From the look in Kagome's eyes, she already knew. Maybe she'd always known. Kagome exhaled slowly, gripping the fabric of her school skirt.

"All right… at least we're close to the village and the well." She pasted on a cheerful smile. "I'll head back after three days, then. I want to spend as much time as I can with you all."

_The well will close forever…_

She'd never stopped to think what would happen after they defeated Naraku. She wanted to say it wasn't fair – why couldn't she stay in both the Sengoku Jidai and her own time? It just wasn't fair! Unfortunately, she'd learned far too well that life was rarely fair.

At hearing her words, Inuyasha turned away sharply. Without pausing to look at Kagome or Kikyo, he took off into the surrounding forest. Kagome let out a startled sound, taking one involuntary step forward. Kikyo moved closer to her reincarnation, gently grasping her by the shoulders.

"Ssh. Let him go."

It's easy for you to say, Kagome wanted to shout. You'll spend the rest of your life with him! But she held back the harsh words and took a deep breath.

"He will miss you, you know," Kikyo spoke softly. "He will miss you dreadfully. He'll never forget you."

Be strong, Kagome told herself.

"I don't want him to miss me." Her voice was steady. "I… if it helps him forget, I don't want him to miss me. I don't want him to hurt."

_Liar_. Not even Kagome was that selfless. But how could she tell Kikyo that she wanted Inuyasha to suffer, to be plagued by memories of her all of his life? She wanted him to remember her every moment of every day of every year – like she would remember him.

Kikyo's hands still rested on Kagome's shoulders. "Thank you." The priestess's voice was full of gratitude – something Kagome never thought she would see the aloof woman display. "Thank you so much, Kagome."

"It's nothing." Kagome slipped away from Kikyo, shaking her head. "I'm sure you two will be very happy."

Kikyo stood still as Kagome moved into the forest herself, the big backpack making her appear larger than she actually was.

"I don't know… perhaps the dead should remain dead."

* * *

"Kagome-e-e! Don't leave!" A tearful Shippo had attached himself to Kagome's leg and was refusing to let go. The schoolgirl sighed and held back tears of her own as she knelt down to hug the small kitsune.

"I have to go, Shippo, you know that," she tried to explain to him. "I need to return to my own time." Shippo, however, refused to listen – he merely upped the volume of his wails.

Sango sighed as she crouched down to pry Shippo away. Ignoring the young demon's kicking and screaming, she straightened up again with him in her arms.

"I know you're doing what's best for you." The demon slayer's voice was bereft of tears. "Take care of yourself, all right, Kagome? I'll take care of him." She nodded to the kitsune in her arms.

"Mhm." On an impulse, Kagome stepped forward to embrace Sango. Sango looked surprised, but before she could return the hug, Kagome had already ended it.

"May you have many more children," Kagome spoke, glancing at Sango's belly. The demon slayer flushed slightly as Kagome turned to her husband.

"Miroku…"

"Be happy, Kagome." The monk offered her a smile, one arm moving to rest around Sango's shoulders. Kagome nodded, getting down on her knees to address Kirara in her smaller form.

"Bye, Kirara." The cat demon mewled and rubbed her head against Kagome's outstretched hand. Shippo's wails had stopped, and he watched Kagome with a somber look.

"Well… that's enough tears for now, don't you think?" Kagome got to her feet and smiled at everyone. "I love you guys… I'll never forget you."

And with that, she clambered over the side of the bone eater's well. The strange portal between eras swallowed her up in a flash of blue light and spit her back in her own time.

* * *

"Inuyasha? I'm pregnant."

The hanyou stared at his wife of two years, his jaw agape. Kikyo looked nervous at delivering the news – one hand played with the fingers of the other as she avoided his gaze. Inuyasha, still speechless, glanced at her belly.

"What…?"

Kikyo looked up, smiling slightly. "I said, I'm pregnant," she repeated slowly. The former priestess's hands moved to cup her belly protectively. A round bulge had already begun to form.

"You're… you're going to have a baby?" Inuyasha looked stunned. "_Our_ baby?"

"Yes." Kikyo couldn't help it – she let out a laugh of relief. Finally, she had told him the news.

Ever since Kikyo had returned to life and Kagome had left, she had slowly lost her spiritual powers. Even Kikyo herself wasn't sure why. In any case, she had been more than happy to give up her title of priestess and settle for being an expert healer, an accurate archer – and of course, Inuyasha's wife. Being a priestess and having power had been… it had been a privilege, but a lonely one.

"A baby…" Inuyasha still seemed unsure. Kikyo was going to have his baby? Should he be happy? Something bubbled in his gut – it felt warm and comfortable. Yes, he was happy.

Suddenly, his ears drooped, and he stared at the ground.

"Kikyo… what will the baby be?" He raised his hands to stare at the claws. "Will… will it be like me?" He never wanted a child of his to go through what he had suffered in his childhood.

Kikyo's gaze softened, and she stepped forward to embrace her husband. "Ssh," she murmured into his neck, pressing her face against his skin. "You know that doesn't matter to me. It doesn't matter to anyone else, either."

Inuyasha took a deep, shuddering breath. She was right. It was useless to worry about something he had no power over. He hugged her close, feeling excitement gush up inside him again.

Without warning, he picked up Kikyo and spun her around, almost delirious with happiness. A baby! He hoped he would be a good father. Kikyo seemed startled at his reaction, and gazed down at him in confusion.

"Inuyasha? Are you all right?"

"I'm going to be a father!"

* * *

"Inu…yasha…" The former priestess exhaled raggedly, her abdomen moving up and down irregularly. The hanyou heard his wife speak and clasped her pale hands between his own, pressing her skin against his cheek.

"Kikyo… Kikyo…" He spoke her name like an incantation or a prayer. "Kikyo, don't leave me… not again…" He felt his eyes sting, but held the tears back – he couldn't let her see him cry. He needed to be strong for her! His silver hair fell around him, framing his distraught face, and Kikyo could not help but smile at her husband's beauty.

"Inuyasha… don't…" she murmured, pressing her fingertips against his skin. Inuyasha closed his eyes, wishing he could block out the reek of Kikyo's blood.

"Why…" he choked out, tightening his grip on her hands. "Why, dammit! I can't lose you again, Kikyo, it's not _fair_."

"Ssh." Kikyo shook her head slightly, tugging on her hands so that Inuyasha would release them. He did so, and she let them drop to the ground with a thud. "Don't say that… I am happy to give my life for our child."

Inuyasha gritted his teeth at her words and cast a glance towards Kaede. The old priestess was trembling – it was almost too much for her to see her sister die all over again. In her arms, the priestess cradled a small bundle.

Kikyo lifted her head, extending her arms towards her sister. "I want to see her." Kikyo's blue-gray gaze was steady, despite the sweat beading on her face and the uneven breaths she took. Kaede meekly handed the bundle over, covering her eye with one hand.

Kikyo's eyes softened as her baby was placed in her arms. Inuyasha's heart clenched as he saw the mother and daughter together for the first and last time.

"My beautiful baby girl… my precious," Kikyo cooed at the bundle, gently rocking it. The baby made no sound – she was asleep, her head already covered with thick black hair. There was no sign of any dog-like characteristics.

"Inuyasha…" As his wife spoke his name, he moved his gaze from the baby to her. Kikyo appeared to be in pain now – her eyes were narrowed, and her breathing was coming out even more irregularly. She offered him the baby.

"Keh." He turned his head away angrily.

"No… no, Inuyasha, don't do that," she pleaded quietly with him. "Please… please love her. Take care of her."

His fingers curled into fists. He wanted to do nothing of the sort – he wanted to toss the tiny creature away, drown her, burn her, tear her to pieces. This bundle had cost his wife her life.

"Ssh…" Kikyo's voice was fading now. A small bundle of letters was placed near her – she had known she was going to die for two days already. The letters she intended to give to Kaede – something for her daughter to remember her by.

"Inuyasha. Promise me something."

He gripped her hands again. "Anything." His voice was rough with pain and loss. At any other time, he would be ashamed of his weakness, but now… now…

"Name her… name her Kagome for me, will you?"

* * *

**AN: Last bit is what the 'intro' dealt with, but I wrote it all over again. No sense in repeating the same words! I imagine Kikyo as being much warmer if she was ever brought back to life properly, so that's why she's like that here.**

**Next chapter will deal with little Kagome growing up, and maybe a sneak peek of what our Kagome's been up to. Are you all right with me calling Inuyasha's daughter Chibika, by the way? Short for Chibi Kagome? Otherwise, I'll just call her 'little Kagome' or 'small Kagome' or something. ^^;**


	2. Chapter Two

_Evergreen_

**AN: … wow. Didn't expect this to be so long. Inuyasha and Kikyo's daughter will be known as Kagome or 'little Kagome' or something like that. I hope it doesn't confuse you guys!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

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**CHAPTER TWO

"Papa-a-a-a!"

The girl's voice was shrill as she dashed out of the small hut, flinging herself at the red-clothed hanyou. She hugged his waist enthusiastically, grinning up at her father's face.

"Papa! Guess what? Auntie Kaede is going to give me mama's last letter today! I'm so excited!" Little Kagome's face fell slightly when her father did not respond. Inuyasha gently untangled himself from her embrace and ducked into the hut.

"Still alive, old woman?" The words had once been teasing – now, they were merely dull. Kaede looked up from sorting through her stock of herbs, not bothering to reply to the hanyou's rhetorical question.

"You _could_ show a little more affection towards your own child." The old priestess's voice was reproachful. Inuyasha flinched at her words, his ears flicking backwards as he detected the soft sound of footfalls behind him.

"Auntie Kaede! Can I have the letter now, please? Please?"

Kaede chuckled. "Patience, my child. You shall have it soon enough. Before sundown, I promise."

"But that's the entire day!" Kagome, affectionately called Chibika at times, made a face. "Before noon?"

"Stop hounding me, young lass, or I shan't give it to you at all!"

"You wouldn't!" Small Kagome's face fell at her aunt's words, but when Kaede let out a small laugh, she relaxed. Of course Kaede would give her the letter. She just had to be patient and not beg the old woman for it.

"Papa, guess what? A big snake demon came into the village the other day! But auntie Sango killed it! She threw that big weapon she always carries around at it, and it was sliced in two!" Kagome clapped her hands together, an action that was strangely childish for a girl of ten years. She had been pampered and spoiled greatly by Kaede and Sango, as well as Rin, who considered the girl as her younger sister – seeing as they both lived with Kaede. Inuyasha let out a noncommittal grunt and seated himself near the door of the house.

He knew he was being cruel by not showing any sort of interest in his daughter, but the sight of her still filled him with sadness. He had experienced a lonely childhood himself, but Kagome's childhood was far from lonely – she had the company of Sango and Miroku's children, as well as Rin and an older Shippo.

So why was he feeling so guilty?

For the past ten years, he'd tried to keep his interaction with her to the minimum. He hadn't ever talked to her about anything. In truth, little Kagome probably knew her dead mother far better than her living father, from those letters of Kikyo's.

He had asked his daughter if he could see those letters, once. A few years ago. Despite Kagome's willingness to do anything for her father, she had refused to show them to him.

"Mama told me that I shouldn't show them to anyone," she had explained importantly to her father. "Not even auntie Kaede or you. She said that in the first letter."

Of course, Kagome hadn't been able to read from birth. She had received letters one to seven on her seventh birthday, and had read all of them in the span of two days. They were long letters – full of a mother's love and concern. The girl just wished she was able to answer her mother's anxious questions about her health or her mood.

Finally, Inuyasha decided to at least _try_ to interact with his daughter. "C'mere, girl," he spoke gruffly, patting the floor next to him. Kagome looked up, her gaze unsure – was her father really addressing her? At his nod, her face brightened, and she scurried over to sit by him.

"Where did you go, papa?" she asked him, making sure not to touch him yet. She had to take this slowly – she couldn't jump headlong into the conversation, like she did with auntie Sango or uncle Miroku. "Did you go to slay demons?"

"Partly." Inuyasha rested one hand on his Tetsusaiga. "I did meet some unfriendly demons on the way, and I did get rid of them. But I was just… travelling."

Kagome remained silent, waiting for her father to continue. Inuyasha exhaled slowly, letting his hand drop to rest on the ground.

"I was visiting places I hadn't seen in a long time," he added vaguely. He'd gone to the ruins of Mt. Hakurei, and the village where Jinenji had lived. For some reason, he felt himself drawn to the different places he'd travelled to with Kagome and the others.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head ever so slightly. "In any case, it doesn't matter. I'm back now."

His daughter beamed up at him and threw her arms around him once more. This time, Inuyasha didn't shrug her off. He didn't return the hug – but he didn't resist it, either. It was a start.

* * *

"Auntie Kaede! Can I have the letter _now_?" Kagome hopped from one foot to the other in impatience, eyeing her aunt with a cross look. "Please? Look, it's almost sundown!"

"All right, one moment, one moment." Kaede got up from her previous kneeling position, wincing as her body creaked and groaned with protest. She began to hobble towards her hut, her steps slow and uneven. Kagome skipped alongside her, her hands reaching forward to clasp her aunt's elbow.

"You shouldn't be out of the house so much now that you're so old, auntie," she reprimanded the old woman. A smile flitted across Kaede's face at her niece's words.

"Whatever you say, dear." The priestess's hands grasped the doorway of her home, and her eyes moved around the room as she tried to remember where she'd kept the last letter.

"Where did I put it…" she murmured, more to herself than anything else.

"Silly auntie! Where you keep all the others, of course." Kagome pointed towards a simple wooden chest that lay near Kaede's sleeping place. "In there."

"Ah, of course, of course. How could I forget?" Kaede shook her head wearily. "Fetch it for me, would you, dear?"

Kagome released her aunt's elbow, moving across the room towards the chest. Her long black hair fluttered behind her – it was loose, as always, and painfully tangled. The girl didn't enjoy having her hair brushed out by Kaede's weak, knobby hands, and Sango tended to pull too hard when she combed out Kagome's hair. So she managed to avoid performing the task, and the two women let her. When she had been younger, her hair had often been matted with mud and dirt – a result of playing with Sango's children and Shippo – but now that she was ten, she rarely wrestled on the ground anymore.

"Here it is, auntie!" Kaede had to hand it to the girl – she could have easily taken out the letter by herself at any point, but she had waited. At least she wasn't _completely_ wild. Kaede accepted the chest, sinking to the ground and carefully opening it.

"The last letter your mother gave me… it is yours now, child." Kaede's single eye misted over as she remembered her sister's words.

"_Ten letters, Kaede. One for every year, for her first ten years. I know she will not be able to read many of them until later… but promise me you will give them to her. Something… something for her to remember me by."_

Kaede placed the letter in her niece's hands, noting Kagome's glassy eyes. The girl bit her lower lip and clutched the object to her heart, blinking rapidly.

"Thank you, auntie." And with those quiet words, she dashed out of the hut.

The last letter… this was all she had left. There would be no more letters now, no more anticipation, no more kind words of reassurance and love. This was the last one.

Kagome hadn't realized till that point how much she loved receiving a letter from her mother every year. Each letter was full of memories and each one was different, dealing with her mother's experiences and the lessons life had taught her. Kagome wished she could remember what her mother looked like – the letters had never once dealt with her mother's appearance, or what her father meant to her mother. They were engrossing reads, yes; they filled her with a sense of security and belonging, yes; but it wasn't the same as actually having her mother with her.

The girl brushed away a stray tear, setting her jaw in a straight line. "Never mind that," she told herself sternly. "Just read the letter already!" And so, she unfolded the letter and began reading, her eyes skimming across the words.

_My dear Kagome,_

_I realize that my last letters have dealt mainly with myself. This is because I have tried to give you some sort of idea of what I was like in life. Admittedly, my words will be biased, and I have not confessed many terrible things I have done. But that is not what I want to talk to you about now._

_My dear girl. Ten years old… I'm sure you look beautiful. Much like your namesake, my own reincarnation, if I'm not mistaken._

_Do you know who you are named after, love? Kagome. Kagome was… different. Many claimed her to be a reincarnation of myself, something I am now sure is true. Kagome was not from our time. She arrived under mysterious circumstances, entering our world through a well known as the bone eater's well._

_It is time you knew everything, my dear Kagome. I have hidden much from you in the previous letters, but now that you are older, I hope you will understand what I am about to tell you__…_

_

* * *

__Your father loved Kagome very much, my girl. He never forgot her, and even though I know he made an effort never to mention her to me, I am sure he thought of her every day. She was his first friend, where I was his first love. There is a large difference between the two. Do you know, some people say that you can never truly love someone if you are not friends with them first. Your father and I were never friends. We were acquaintances - and from acquaintances, we immediately changed to lovers.  
_

_In any case, Kagome returned to her own time after the Shikon no Tama disappeared. I know that the bone eater's well should have closed after her departure, and that what I ask of you is impossible if it did._

_But I want your father to be happy, and I want you to have a proper mother. Please, Kagome, for my sake if no one else's – bring Kagome Higurashi back. I know that you have no obligation to a dead mother, and that you probably feel that you are fine the way you are. I don't know if you will even be able to open the portal between her world and ours._

_But I have a feeling, my dear. I think you can do it._

_Bring Kagome back into your father's life, love. Please._

_Your mother,_

_Kikyo._

Kagome stared at the words in confusion, her forehead crumpled as she re-read the last few paragraphs over and over again. The story her mother had written had left her speechless. Had her mother really died many years before she, Kagome, was born? Had she really wandered the land as a clay and mud body fed by dead souls? And had this Shikon no Tama really brought her back to life?

Well, there was no doubt about the last question – Kagome would not be alive otherwise. But the story seemed so improbable, even to a girl who lived in an era of demons and magic. Kagome shook her head slowly, folding the letter once more and returning into the hut.

She stopped in surprise when she noticed that the hut was not empty. She knew that old Kaede was probably sleeping, but next to the slumbering figure of the old priestess sat a silver-haired hanyou.

"Hey." Her father regarded her carefully, his golden eyes narrowing as they studied her intently. Kagome held herself completely still, only releasing her breath once her father's eyes had turned from her to Kaede.

"She's not doing so well." Inuyasha's voice was as brusque as always. "Crazy old woman. She should have died years ago."

Auntie Kaede was dying? Kagome's eyes widened in alarm, and she dashed over to her aunt.

"What? She's okay, isn't she? She's just sleeping, after all." Kagome reached out to pat her aunt's shoulder, but Inuyasha held her back.

"Leave her alone. Let her sleep while she can."

Kagome glanced up at her father. "She… she _can't_." Her voice quavered. "I mean… she was out in the garden, tending to the herbs like always today… she's fine! I know she is!"

"Lower your voice, silly girl." Inuyasha lowered his own tone to a guttural growl. "Do you want to wake her?"

Kagome fought back tears as she sat down, hugging her knees to her chest. The letter rested beside her.

Inuyasha cast the object a suspicious glance. "What's that?"

"What? Oh, this?" Kagome released her knees and snatched up the letter, tucking it away in her kimono. "It's mama's letter."

Inuyasha's golden gaze clouded ever so slightly. "I see."

"She… she told me about what happened," Kagome found herself saying in a hushed voice. "About when she pinned you to a tree and when she died…"

Inuyasha felt himself grow alarmed. His daughter was only ten years old – what had his wife been thinking? Had she thought that a ten-year-old would be able to cope with such monumental revelations?

He noticed tear tracks glittering on his daughter's cheeks.

"She wrote everything, huh." His voice was emotionless. "About Naraku, and everything?"

She nodded. "Mama… didn't go into detail about that, though." Kagome shrugged slightly. "She… she mostly told me about Kagome. The one I was named after."

Inuyasha stiffened. "Kagome?" Speaking the name brought back the memories in a heady rush – of the girl's laugh, of her scowl, of her anger and sorrow and happiness and passion.

Dammit. So many years later, he was _still_ consumed by thoughts of both Kikyo and Kagome – but this time, both of them were out of his reach.

Inuyasha sighed. "I see."

Kagome glanced up at her father again. "Did… did that all really happen?" she spoke hesitantly. "Did Kagome really come here from another world?"

"Something like that."

Kagome fell silent, gazing at Kaede as the old woman's side rose and fell. So it was all true… did that mean that the well was still there? Could she pass through it? Could she bring back this Kagome for her father and her mother?

* * *

**AN: Okay, no Kagome Higurashi in this one, only little Kagome… sorry. Next chapter, maybe. I want to portray little Kagome as a bit of a spoiled, wild child – seeing as Inuyasha hasn't really taken care of her, and Sango and Kaede dote on her. She's not quite so wild anymore, though…**


	3. Chapter Three

_Evergreen_

**AN: Finally, a glimpse of Kagome! This little glimpse of hers takes place two years after she left – as in, the time that her namesake was born. It does NOT take place in the 'present' age, as in when little Kagome is ten. I know it's confusing, and I'm sorry, but a peek at present-day Kagome will probably appear in the next chapter, or the one after that.**

**I have a question, though - can anyone tell me what color human Inuyasha's eyes are? I think they're supposed to be brown in the anime, but I've heard some people saying they're purple or even blue in the manga... clear this doubt for me, please?  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

**

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE

"Kagome, dear! Wake up, you're going to be late for school!"

So many years later, and she was _still_ late for school. Well, some things never changed, Kagome Higurashi reflected as she dashed out of the door, calling a hurried goodbye to her family over one shoulder.

Her grandfather had died the previous year. His death – well, it had shocked her. She'd almost expected the old man to live forever… like Kaede.

_No!_ Could she not pass a single day without thinking of someone from the Sengoku Jidai? Was it really that hard for her to let go? Kagome's hands were on her backpack straps, and she tightened her grip on the straps, pulling them forward to readjust the position of her backpack.

It was downright pointless of her to long after the feudal era. It was five hundred years ago – it was history. She had no way of going back to her friends, and she thought she'd reconciled herself to that fact long ago.

Oh, she had tried. When she returned to her world, for a few days, all she'd done was mope. Her grandfather had been forced to come up with stranger and stranger diseases to explain her absence in school, and her mother had made her hot soup and consoled her during the nights she stayed awake, sobbing.

It had hurt terribly, and one night, she'd tried to get back to the Sengoku Jidai. She'd stolen out of the house in her pajamas and headed towards the old well, determined to make it accept her once more.

It had been dark, she remembered. Well, obviously, it had been night after all… She remembered the fact that there was no moon in the sky. She had attempted to jump down the well once more, but it hadn't taken her anywhere. She'd fallen asleep inside the well and woken up with dried tear tracks on her cheeks and an ache in her heart.

Why did it have to hurt so much even now, two years later?

Kagome glanced up at the cloudy sky, blowing idly at a strand of hair. Everywhere she went, she was reminded of her years on the other side of the well.

It wasn't _fair_. She didn't want to remember! In a desperate attempt to forget, Kagome had begun to throw herself into her studies, often staying up all night to revise her chapters. It had improved her grades, certainly, and helped her catch up after all those missed classes… but it wasn't a permanent distraction. Eventually, her thoughts would drift back to the once place she wanted to keep them away from.

She wondered if they – Kagome wasn't a bitter person by nature, but she couldn't bear to even _think_ their names – had had children. She wondered how big Sango and Miroku's family was. She wondered how Shippo was doing, if he had grown at all, and if Sesshomaru had taken Rin away from Kaede's village yet.

Jerking her thoughts back to the present, Kagome glanced at her wristwatch. A horrified squawk escaped her.

"Oh no! I really _am_ going to be late!"

* * *

The teacher's words barely made it past her ears. Kagome stared at the blackboard, hoping that her face did not betray her intense boredom to her teacher. What was he going on about…? Something about math. Oh, yes, she had math first period. Kagome stifled a groan and ducked her head, gazing blankly at her notebook on the desk.

The shrill sound of a bell ringing cut off the teacher in mid-sentence.

"Very well. We shall continue tomorrow. Remember to bring your geometry utensils!"

The class waited until the teacher had left the room before erupting into animated chatter. Kagome's band of friends made their way to her desk.

"Hey, Kagome? You okay?" one of them asked, looking worried. "You look kind of pale."

Kagome blinked, raising her head. "Hmm? Oh, I'm fine! I think I just spaced out," she grinned, gathering her books together and slipping them into her bag. "It happens to me in math class, you know that."

All four of them laughed together. "Hey, did you understand _anything_ about what he was saying?" another friend asked her. Kagome shrugged her shoulders.

"Beats me. It kind of just went through one ear and out the other. I suppose I'll have to go home and revise the chapter by myself."

Her friends nodded in agreement. "It makes so much more sense when I'm reading it myself, instead of listening to the teacher talking," one of them said. Kagome allowed a faint smile to remain on her face as she gazed out of the window, lost in her thoughts.

Wasn't it a new moon that night…?

* * *

"Uh… papa?" Little Kagome stared quizzically at her father, who was currently lying under several sheets. "Are you sick?"

"Dammit," Inuyasha grunted. He'd forgotten that there was no moon that night, and had gone along with Sango and Miroku that afternoon to exterminate a weasel demon. Unfortunately, the extermination took longer than they'd expected – and in the middle of the battle, Tetsusaiga's transformation had been undone when the sun had set.

"Papa?" his daughter spoke again, tentatively reaching out to place a hand on his black hair. "Why don't you have your ears anymore?"

Were _all_ mortals fascinated with his ears? he thought irritably. They were just a pair of dog ears. Surely people had seen dog ears before?

"I'm not sick," he tried to reassure his daughter, reaching up to swat her hand away. Kagome looked pained at his actions but withdrew her hand, placing it next to the other in her lap. "This is just something that happens every new moon."

"New moon?" Kagome echoed, glancing out of the hut. Yes, there was no moon in the sky. "It happens during every new moon?" Why hadn't she noticed this earlier?

Inuyasha was always away, though, so it wasn't a surprise that his daughter hadn't noticed how he always left on the night of the new moon. He hadn't been close enough to his daughter to tell her about his period of weakness – and even after Naraku's defeat, Inuyasha kept the secret close to his heart. He didn't trust anyone else to keep his secret.

"Yeah," he finally replied, sitting up. "I dunno why that old lady's treating me like an invalid, though. I'm perfectly capable of standing." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and got to his feet, eyeing Kaede sternly.

"If anything, _you_ should be the one under the covers," he addressed the priestess. Kaede laughed and waved his words aside.

"Nonsense. I'm fine now."

It had been three days since Kagome had received her mother's last letter and learned that her aunt was going to die soon. Ever since then, she had pored over the letter, rereading every word and trying to understand the enormity of the task that her mother had left her.

She had even asked her father to take her into the forest, to the bone eater's well, but he had refused. "I don't have good memories of the place," was all he had said when she'd pressed him. In truth, he _did_ have good memories of the well – but he didn't want to be reminded of them, it was too painful. And since she'd asked him to take her to the well, the day before, he'd been distant with her once more.

"No ifs or buts, old woman." Inuyasha's voice was rough as he grabbed Kaede's wrist and dragged her over to the sheets. Even without his hanyou powers, Inuyasha was still far stronger than the old woman. Kaede did not complain as she lay down and pulled the sheets over her body.

Kagome looked at her aunt worriedly. "Is she going to be okay?" she whispered to her father. Inuyasha let out a 'keh' sound.

"Stubborn old hag, refusing to die," he griped as he moved towards the entrance of the hut. "Relax. She won't die tonight."

Kagome sat down next to Kaede, gazing down at the sleeping woman. "Are you _sure_?" she persisted, not even looking up at her father. "She looks really sick."

"Would you calm down? She'll be fine! As fine as an ancient hag like her can be. She's not going to die tonight, I can tell you that much. I didn't smell any strong sickness on her in the morning."

"But that could have changed, couldn't it have?"

"Argh!" The hanyou threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "This is ridiculous! Stop pestering me, girl." And with that, he stomped outside.

The girl sighed. Her father really was quite short-tempered. Patting her aunt on the head gently, she got to her feet and followed Inuyasha outside.

Deciding to change the topic from Kaede's sickness, she picked up on the easiest thing to talk about. "Are you _sure_ you won't take me to the well, papa? I want to see it!"

Inuyasha's face twisted. "No," he spoke shortly. Looking around, Kagome guessed that he was heading to Miroku and Sango's home. "Drop it before I get mad."

"Okay, okay." Kagome fell silent, frowning as she tried to think of an alternate plan. So her father wouldn't take her there…

"Inuyasha? Is that you?"

Auntie Sango…

Of course! Kagome resisted the urge to slap her forehead with the palm of her hand. Surely auntie Sango and uncle Miroku knew about the well? They had been Kagome's friends too, after all. Excitement bubbled within her. She would ask Sango! It was the perfect plan.

Sango was like a mother to Kagome, while Kaede had always been more of a scolding but loving nursemaid. Even though the demon slayer was often quite rough – one merely had to ask her husband how many times she'd slapped him to find _that_ out – she absolutely doted on Kagome, and rarely dissuaded the girl from doing anything.

"Yeah, it's me." Inuyasha still sounded disgruntled as he slipped into the hut. Kagome followed quietly, smiling down at Kirara as the cat youkai wound herself around the girl's legs and purred.

"Weren't you at lady Kaede's, resting?" Sango sounded reproachful. "That weasel demon gave you a pretty bad gash, after all."

With a start, Kagome realized that her father's side was bleeding. Admittedly, the blood wasn't gushing out – it was moving sluggishly, dripping out of the half-sealed wound and staining her father's red clothes even redder. So he hadn't been resting just because he looked different – he'd really been hurt.

"Papa, you should go home and sleep for a while."

"Get off my back!" Inuyasha grumbled, nodding towards Miroku. The monk was cradling his newest child – a young girl, born only months before. Inuyasha wasted no time in expressing his amazement.

"What, you have _another_ one?" he directed his question towards the monk. "How many do you plan on having, anyway?"

Miroku smiled and eyed Sango, who was bustling around the hut, in a vaguely inappropriate manner. "Oh, we'll see," he replied offhandedly, setting down the sleeping child. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Inuyasha," the demon slayer sighed, appearing at the hanyou's side, "you really need to take better care of yourself." In her hands, she held a small pot of ointment that Kaede had mixed years ago, in an attempt to duplicate the strange but effective medicines that Kagome had brought back from her time. Sango ignored Inuyasha's loud protests and ordered him to take off his shirt. Ordinarily, such words would sound outrageously improper – but when they came from Sango, they were for the good of the person concerned, and nothing more. Miroku was the lecherous one of the pair, after all.

"Keh." Inuyasha growled in annoyance as he lifted the cloth enough for Sango to access the wound. "I don't see any point in it. If I want to get hurt, that's my problem, isn't it? Who should I take better care of myself for?"

His daughter, who was chattering with Sango and Miroku's eldest daughter, shot him a hurt look. Inuyasha didn't seem to see it, but Sango did.

"Don't be stupid," she scolded, dabbing the ointment onto his wound. "You have so many people to live for. Stop wallowing." Inuyashed gritted his teeth and held back the harsh words he wanted to spit out. No sense in angering Sango – he really didn't fancy being hit by her Hiraikotsu when he didn't have his demon recuperative powers. He would probably be out for days.

"Yeah, yeah." The ointment stung, but he kept on an impassive face, watching Kagome. The girl had stopped talking and was sitting in one corner of the room, hugging her knees to her chest. He wondered if his words had hurt her. Really, she was almost as sensitive as the girl she'd been named after…

No point going there. Inuyasha sighed in relief as Sango wrapped a cloth bandage around his torso to bind the wound and stepped back. He released his hold on his clothing and let it drift back to cover his sides.

Kagome fidgeted, looking up to see Sango move away from her father. With a purposeful expression on her face, the girl got to her feet and walked towards the demon slayer.

"Auntie Sango? I wanted to ask you something… can I talk to you outside?" Thank goodness her father didn't have his dog ears – he probably wouldn't be able to hear what they were saying. Sango looked nonplussed, but agreed readily. Kagome led the way out of the hut, stopping a few feet away from the entrance and glancing back to check that no one was trying to follow them.

"All right, Kagome, what is it?" Sango asked the girl. Kagome stared at her feet and clacked her teeth together, wondering how to begin. Should she start with the letters? Did Sango even know about the letters her mother had left her? She doubted it. Sango had never really liked Kikyo, that was what Kaede always told her.

"Umm…" She'd start with the last letter. No need to explain the other letters. "See, auntie Sango… when my mama died…"

Sango leaned forward to bring her ears closer to the girl, but stiffened as Kagome began speaking. At first, Kagome thought it was because she had brought up her mother, but she realized that Sango was gazing beyond her, towards the outskirts of the village.

Kagome turned, frowning in puzzlement. Her eyes widened at the sight that met her eyes. Was that… a _whirlwind_? No, wait, it was just leaves being kicked up by a pair of fast feet. Sango placed her hands protectively on Kagome's shoulders, pushing the girl towards the hut.

"Get inside, and make sure your father doesn't come out." The demon slayer's voice was an urgent hiss. "Send Miroku out, all right?"

Looking startled, Kagome complied – dashing into the hut and covering her father with a spare blanket. Inuyasha spluttered and threw off the sheet, glaring at her.

"What was that for?" he spoke crossly. Kagome ignored her father for the moment and turned to Miroku.

"Uncle, auntie Sango wants you to go outside…" She was about to mention the whirlwind, but stopped at the last moment. "It's something important."

Miroku looked confused, but he headed outside. Kagome turned to Inuyasha, and was met by a hostile glare.

"You need to rest, papa," she spoke quickly, hoping that she didn't sound nervous. What would happen if she failed to keep her father indoors? Inuyasha looked contemptuous.

"Keh. Even as a human, I'm not as weak as all of you." He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Don't _ever_ throw a blanket over me like that again, you hear?"

"Yes, papa." Kagome glanced outside, wondering what was going on. Inuyasha followed his daughter's gaze, his forehead creasing.

"What were you and Sango talking about, anyway?"

Before Kagome could invent a suitable reply, there was a silhouette at the doorway. She heard Sango's voice, calling for someone to stop. The figure walked into the house, sniffing deeply. Kagome didn't recognize him, and shrank against her father's side.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed dangerously. "So, the wimpy wolf is back."

* * *

**AN: I thought it was kind of getting boring, so I brought in everyone's favourite wolf demon! Haha. Koga hasn't seen anyone from Inuyasha's group since the defeat of Naraku, to make things clearer. And wow, this one is long, too. I hope I can make all of the chapters this long! I know it's nothing compared to the length of chapters in some stories, but for me, a chapter is usually about 1,500 words long, or three pages in Word.**

**So if you've read my profile, you know that I've finished chapter seven. Chapter eight is proving to be a little difficult for me... but that's not the point! The point is, I've decided to update the story until all seven chapters are up before starting anymore! That's right, you guys are going to get very quick updates after this. Be happy! =D  
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	4. Chapter Four

_Evergreen_

**AN: Chapter four! Koga calls Inuyasha 'mutt-face' because I feel uncomfortable typing out 'dog-turd'… even though I did it just now. Ah, well. I might actually make him call Inuyasha ****'****dog-turd****' later, because I'm sure I'll get tired of typing out the same old insult…**

**I just saw episode 117 today! The InuKag hug made me 'aww'. (:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

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* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR

Wimpy wolf? What was her father talking about? Kagome pressed her face against Inuyasha's side, watching the stranger with one eye. He wore a dark brown loincloth that seemed to be made of something that resembled fur – his chest was covered by a breastplate made of beaten metal, and his shoulder pads were made out of the same material as his loincloth. And behind him…

Was that a _tail_? Something streamed out behind him, an extra appendage that he seemed to flex at will. Kagome lifted her face from her father's dirty clothes, now staring at the stranger with unabashed curiosity. However, the stranger had eyes for no one but her father. His mouth opened to reveal shining rows of deadly sharp teeth as he chuckled mockingly.

"We meet after so long, and you _still_ can't come up with better insults, mutt-face?" Inuyasha scowled, getting to his feet and kicking away the blanket that had wrapped around his legs.

"Bah, look who's talking. 'Mutt-face'? Honestly?" Inuyasha crossed his arms and glowered at the wolf demon. Koga laughed again.

"Dropped by to say hi. Been busy all these years." He waved vaguely, as if unable to speak about how busy he had been. "I'm starting to wonder why I bothered." His blue eyes narrowed and sparked with hostility. "Kagome isn't here, and she hasn't been for a long time. I can't smell her at all."

Inuyasha flinched. Kagome glanced at her father, and then back at the stranger. Kagome? Was he talking about the girl she'd been named after? Kagome ducked behind her father, intent on staying hidden.

"None of your damn business," the hanyou finally retorted hotly. "Anyway, how the hell did you know that this was the village she used to stay at?" Koga shrugged.

"Asked around. People still remember the strange girl who looked like Kikyo, you know. She's become quite a legend. Everyone pointed me here, but I see she isn't around." He peered around, as if hoping that the girl would jump out of a dark corner. "So where is she, anyway? I'm sure she hasn't forgotten me, even after all these years." Kagome stifled a giggle as she saw the wolf demon's chest swell.

Unfortunately, the sound was a little louder than she'd wanted it to be, and Koga stiffened. Kagome pressed her hands against her mouth and tried to make herself as small as possible, hunching her shoulders forward to hide her face.

"What?" Koga inhaled, frowning deeply. "Who the hell is that? I don't recognize the scent. Smells like a whelp, though. You got a cub or something, mutt-face?"

Inuyasha tensed, adopting an aggressive stance. "Mind your own business, wolf breath," he growled. Koga ignored the transformed hanyou's words and stepped forward, shoving Inuyasha aside unceremoniously. Inuyasha stumbled, whirling around to grasp Koga's upper arm.

"Leave her alone!" It lightened Kagome's heart to hear her father defend her so bravely, even when he had lost all of his demon powers. She beamed at him, not noticing Koga's stunned appraisal of her until he spoke loudly.

"Who are you? Why do you look just like Kagome?" The girl was startled at his sudden question, and replied instinctively.

"I _am_ Kagome!"

Koga looked shocked, and turned on Inuyasha. "What on earth? Why is she a little girl?" He pointed at little Kagome without looking at her, his angry gaze fixed on Inuyasha. "And why has her scent changed? It's not the same anymore!"

"That's because that isn't Kagome, you idiot." Inuyasha's patience had run low, and he pushed past the wolf demon to shield his daughter protectively. "Not that Kagome, anyway." He turned to Kagome and hissed, "Bad move, girl."

Kagome nodded and stayed silent.

"But she looks so much like her!" Koga appeared thunderstruck. "She even says her name is Kagome!"

"Her name _is_ Kagome." Inuyasha exhaled irritably. "This is my daughter. Mine and Kikyo's." The hanyou's chest suddenly felt tight. He hadn't spoken his wife's name in ten years.

"So, you married that dead priestess, eh?" The wolf demon looked vaguely disgusted. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"No, I married a _living_ priestess. The Shikon no Tama brought Kikyo back to life."

Ten years without saying her name, and he'd uttered it twice within two minutes. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed saying her name.

"That sacred jewel, eh? So you finally made a wish on it. In any case, that's irrelevant." Koga seemed to have forgotten about his surprise at Kagome's appearance and plowed on relentlessly. "Where's _my_ Kagome?"

One of Inuyasha's eyes twitched. "She was never your Kagome," he grumbled, folding his arms again as he turned back to face Koga. "She's not here," he added in response to Koga's question. "So beat it."

"Well, I can see that." Koga's words were laced with sarcasm. "Then where is she? I can't pick up her scent anywhere."

"She went back to her own time," Inuyasha replied stonily. Kagome glanced up at her father's face and saw nothing in the tightness of his jaw and the smoothness of his expression. If only she could see his eyes…

"What?" Koga appeared stunned. "She didn't! She couldn't have!"

"You've been away a long time," Inuyasha snapped in reply. "She left twelve years ago, Koga. She's been gone a long time."

The wolf demon staggered backwards. "That's… that's not possible," he spoke faintly. Kagome eyed him oddly – wasn't he overreacting just a little bit? It was partly his own fault for not checking in on the older Kagome regularly. He shouldn't have been so distraught.

"Oh, spare me the dramatics." Inuyasha's voice was scathing. "Now you know that she isn't here, so you're just going to have to deal with it. And would you mind not damaging the doorway? Sango won't exactly be pleased."

Indeed, Koga was digging his nails into the wooden doorway. He pulled his claws away with a curse, his entire face scrunching up with his dislike of the hanyou.

"I can't believe you let her go!" he finally burst out, glaring at Inuyasha spitefully. "Why didn't you stop her?"

Kagome felt out of place, but she continued to listen to the conversation between the rivals. Her father's voice was suddenly very soft as he spoke. "Why would I have stopped her?"

"I thought… all those times you told me to back off…" Koga looked truly perplexed. "Didn't you have feelings for her, mutt?"

Inuyasha didn't wince. He'd come to terms with his feelings for Kagome and Kikyo a long time ago. "It doesn't make a difference, all right? I chose Kikyo. Kagome went back home. End of story."

"You _idiot_!" Koga lunged for the half dog demon, aiming to fasten his claws around Inuyasha's throat. The hanyou dodged, pulling his daughter aside so as to prevent Koga from landing on her.

"It's so like you to attack me when I'm not even at full power," Inuyasha taunted. "Don't think you can beat me when I'm in my hanyou form?"

Koga let out a howl of rage as he spun on his feet and dashed towards Inuyasha once more. Inuyasha tried to dodge again, but his human reflexes weren't as fast as his demon ones – Koga's claws ripped off part of his robe, tearing into the skin of his shoulder. Inuyasha swayed slightly, and Kagome decided it was time for her to speak up. Hopefully, this demon wouldn't kill her – not when she looked so much like the other Kagome, someone he seemed to have cared for quite a bit.

"Stop it!" Her voice was childishly shrill, and Kagome wished she could have made her command sound more imposing. "Can't you see my papa's hurt already? You're such a coward!" She glared angrily at Koga, her blue-gray eyes unfriendly. "Leave him alone! It's not his fault Kagome left!"

"What…" Koga paused, more out of shock than anything else. Was this little slip of a girl really addressing him, Koga? "Stay out of this, little girl," he finally spoke rudely. "This is between your idiot father and me."

Kagome continued to glower at Koga, although she shrunk back a little as his bloodstained claws came into view. "You've no right to pick on him when he's so weak." She ignored her father's protests of 'I'm not weak!' and continued to speak. "Kagome made her own decision to go back. Don't take it out on my papa."

She felt so grown-up at that moment. The feeling, however, was shattered when Koga laughed derisively.

"Little children shouldn't get involved in adults' fights. But in any case, I'll wait until that mutt over there can give me a _real_ challenge. This was just a taste of what I'll give him later." Koga licked the blood off his claws, and Kagome recoiled in disgust.

"Isn't that so kind of you," sneered Inuyasha, refusing to clutch anything for support. He stood stock-still until the world around him stopped spinning, and then he walked towards Kagome, inspecting her roughly.

"Good. You're all right." His voice was brusque as he turned away to face Koga. "Good thing you didn't hurt her, wimpy wolf, or I'd have to tear your face off – new moon or not."

"You're all talk." Koga sniffed and stalked out of the hut. It was only when they could no longer hear his footsteps that her father sank to the floor, one hand clutching his bleeding shoulder. Kagome squeaked in alarm and scooped up the blanket again, throwing it over him.

"I'll get auntie Sango!" she called as she exited the hut. Inuyasha merely grunted in reply and stared at the ceiling of the house, his vision blurring over ever so slightly.

"Auntie Sango…" As Kagome caught sight of the demon slayer, she realized that Miroku was no longer with her. Briefly wondering where the monk had gone, Kagome skidded to a stop next to her father's friend, her breath coming out in harsh gasps. "Papa… that wolf demon injured him on the shoulder…"

Sango groaned. "Your father and Koga never seemed to be able to agree over anything," she muttered, placing one hand on Kagome's shoulder and steering her back to the hut. "Whenever they're together, one or the other invariably ends up hurt." The darkness was absolute – there was no moon to illuminate the pathways, and clouds had obscured the faint star shine. Kagome gripped Sango's hand tightly as they entered the hut together.

Inside the hut, the lighting was no better. Sango felt her way around the room, quickly lighting a small fire so that she could examine Inuyasha's injuries. The transformed hanyou was silent, and Kagome took a seat near her father's head to watch Sango tend to his wound.

"I can do that, if you want," the girl offered. Sango brushed aside Kagome's words with one hand.

"Nonsense. This won't take too long. It looks bad, but it's not too deep." Sango dabbed on some of the ointment and bound the shoulder as well. Inuyasha grunted at the pressure exerted on the wound and opened his eyes.

"Stupid wolf," he grumbled, sitting up. Something flashed around his neck, and Kagome looked closer, making out the shape of beads around her father's neck. She wondered why she'd never noticed them before.

"Papa? What are those?" She pointed to his neck, and Inuyasha looked down at her words. His claw-less fingers touched the dark beads hesitantly – it looked like the necklace had fangs on it as well as beads. Kagome crept closer and laid a hand on the beads, placing her fingers not far from her father's.

"These are the beads of subjugation." A strange tone appeared in her father's voice – half irritated and half amused. "That old hag slapped them on me twelve years ago, and I haven't been able to take them off since." As if to demonstrate, Inuyasha tugged on the beads. A small blue flicker appeared at his fingertips, and he drew his hand away hurriedly.

"What do they do?" Kagome examined the beads in fascination, unaware of Sango's smile as she watched the father and daughter interact.

A scowl crossed Inuyasha's face. "That's none of your business," he replied sullenly, lying back down on the mat. He drew the sheet over his face and soon fell quiet, although Kagome was fairly sure she could hear muttered curses from under the blanket. Smiling slightly, she got to her feet and glanced quizzically at Sango, who looked as if she was about to hug someone.

"Auntie…?" Sango shook her head and stood up as well. She gestured to the entrance of the hut, signaling Kagome to walk outside with her. The girl shrugged and walked out, closely followed by Sango.

"No wonder your father doesn't want to discuss those beads." Sango looked deeply amused. "Kagome used to use them to subdue him." Kagome stared at the demon slayer with wide eyes.

"How?"

"She used the word of subjugation…" Sango held back her laughter. "And it made your father go face down in the dirt. It was always really funny to watch… although Kagome did tend to abuse her power over him." She smiled in reminiscence, staring out at the dark lands and the horizon.

"Auntie Sango…" Kagome shifted from one foot to another. "Did this Kagome love papa?"

Sango looked startled at the question. She looked down at her friend's daughter with a confused expression, one that little Kagome was not able to see through the darkness.

"I… I don't know," Sango sighed finally. "I think she did."

"And did papa love Kagome?"

Again, Sango looked unsure. "Your father doesn't openly talk about his feelings… but I think he did."

Now was the time to ask her.

"Auntie Sango… will you show me the bone eater's well?"

* * *

**AN: It was fun writing the Inuyasha and Koga fight – er, I mean interaction. Ha ha. I liked this chapter… not sure why.**

**So a sneak peek at the next chapter – little Kagome visits the bone eater's well! Does she manage to activate it again? You'll just have to see, huh? And what's this – present-day Kagome Higurashi? Yes, yes indeed! Stay tuned!**


	5. Chapter Five

_Evergreen_

**AN: Yay, we finally get to see Kagome Higurashi in present day! Hope you like how I've made her.**

**One thing, though - I****'****ve come to realize that I might sound terribly full of myself in my writing, using words like ****'youkai****' and ****'****miko****' instead of their English counterparts, demon and priestess. Does that bother you guys? If it does, I'm more than happy to change all of them to their English counterparts. Just let me know! The truth is, I started reading the manga before watching the anime, and not the ViZ version - translated online. That****'****s why I tend to use the Japanese terms that weren****'****t translated on the site.**

**Again, just let me know if it bothers you!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE

"Kagome, dear, we don't have much time… your father will return with Miroku very soon, and he'll be sure to track your scent to this place." Sango didn't look nervous, exactly – more curious than anything else. "So would you mind telling me what exactly you have in mind?" Kagome didn't reply, her gaze fixed on the structure in front of her.

The well looked… well, it looked old. Old and unspectacular. Was this really the well through which Kagome Higurashi had entered the feudal era? Little Kagome stepped closer to the well, running one hand over the lip of the wooden structure. She winced as a piece of wood embedded itself in her finger, and hastily pulled her hand away.

"Are you _sure_ this is the bone eater's well, auntie Sango?" Kagome stared at the well through narrowed eyes, as if willing it to erupt into dazzling lights. She sensed nothing from the well. Perhaps she had to climb in to be able to activate it?

"Yes, I'm quite sure." Sango's voice was patient. "I saw Kagome and Inuyasha come out of it enough times."

"What…" Startled, Kagome whirled around and stared at her father's friend in shock. "You mean, my papa could use it, too?"

"You didn't know? I suppose Kikyo didn't mention that tidbit of information."

"No, she didn't." Kagome shook her head, turning to gaze at the well again.

"So this is definitely it… I think I'm going to climb down into the well, auntie Sango. Maybe that's when it'll start working."

Sango frowned. She didn't like the idea of the small girl clambering into the well. Even years later, the floor of the well was still probably carpeted with demon bones, and Sango didn't want Kagome to be alone down there.

"Well… Kagome always used to just jump in," Sango offered. "But just in case the well doesn't work, I don't think you should do that."

Why was she encouraging the girl? Sango wondered. She knew perfectly well that the well was not going to work anymore. Inuyasha had tried to access Kagome's era many years before, after Kikyo's death. If the well had not worked for him, it was highly unlikely that it would work for little Kagome.

"Yeah, it looks pretty deep." Kagome picked at the splinter of wood in her finger as she leaned forward to gaze into the depths of the well. Sango exhaled sharply and reached forward to snatch at the back of the girl's kimono.

"Careful!" the demon slayer scolded, gripping the fabric tightly. "You could fall in." Kagome shot Sango a grateful look and resumed her examination of the well's interior.

"I'm going in," she announced a few minutes later, having successfully pulled out the splinter with her teeth. She spat out the small piece of wood and hoisted herself onto the lip of the well's exterior, her legs dangling down into the darkness. Sango watched worriedly as Kagome leaned down to grasp a strand of thick vine.

"I'll be fine," the girl reassured Sango as she pulled on the vine experimentally. Grasping it with both hands, Kagome swung herself into the well.

The vine did not support her weight, however, and she felt it snap in her hands. Letting out a terrified scream, Kagome felt herself fall towards the bottom of the well. Wind whistled in her ears as she tried to grab onto something – anything to stop the horrifying free-fall. Sango, having heard the scream, clapped her hands over her mouth.

"Kagome!" she shouted into the well, cursing herself for allowing the girl to go alone. "Kagome, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," came the timid response. Kagome had landed on the well bottom – surprisingly enough, the well wasn't actually all that deep. She had bruised herself, but she figured that the bruises would heal in a couple of days. At least she hadn't landed on something hard, like the skull nearby…

Skull? Kagome blinked and looked at the white object again, her body trembling. Yes, it was definitely a skull. Kagome felt faint all of a sudden and placed one hand over her eyes, trying to block out the sight.

"Kagome?" So the well hadn't worked for her after all. Sango could not deny the fact that a small part of her had wanted Kagome to be able to pass between the eras. Now that that hope was crushed, however, Sango was more concerned about Kagome herself.

"I'm fine," Kagome repeated, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. So the well wasn't called 'bone eater's' on a whim. There actually _were_ bones inside. Kagome got to her feet slowly, her vision still obscured by her hand. Seeing more bones would only make her lose her nerve.

Her mouth felt dry, and she was perspiring heavily. Kagome wondered vaguely if this was what fear felt like. Being only ten years of age, she had never truly experienced full-fledged fear before. Yes, she'd been frightened of Koga the previous night – and yes, she was occasionally nervous of Sango when the demon slayer had a certain gleam in her eyes, which usually led to Kagome being dragged to the stream to be bathed… But this fear was completely different.

Kagome reached forward with her free hand, feeling around the well blindly. Finally, she felt something solid under her fingertips. The walls of the well? She uncovered her eyes, sighing in relief at the sight. Yes, it was a wall. Kagome glanced along the wall out of the corners of her eyes, spotting a net-like growth of vines a few feet away. The creepers stretched upwards – hopefully, _these_ would be able to support her weight. Kagome licked her lips nervously and kept her body pressed against the wall as she inched along, one hand extended to catch a hold of a vine as soon as possible.

Her foot landed on something that cracked under her weight, and she pressed one hand to her mouth to stifle a scream. Refusing to look down, Kagome increased her pace and finally grasped one of the creepers. Her heart hammering, she immediately began to climb.

"Kagome!" Sango looked immensely relieved as she saw the girl emerge from the darkness, climbing up the walls of the well by using vines. Sango reached down to help Kagome out of the well, stroking her hair and studying her face.

"Are you all right?"

Kagome nodded, too winded to speak. Now that the adrenaline had left her system, she was left feeling weak and tired.

"It doesn't work…" Kagome sighed and glanced at the bone eater's well in obvious disappointment. "The well doesn't work anymore."

"It can't work anymore." Sango's voice was gentle as she wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders and herded her back towards the village. "Without the Shikon no Tama, the bone eater's well is nothing out of the ordinary."

Kagome had to blink back tears at Sango's words.

* * *

"Argh…" She peered blearily at the green digital numbers on her bedside clock, groaning at the time. Five forty-three? What had possessed her to get up at five forty-three in the morning? And now she couldn't go back to sleep.

Kagome vaguely remembered setting an alarm the previous night. She rolled over in bed, squinting as she tried to recall what time she'd set it for.

She finally decided that it didn't matter, and was about to snuggle back into her blankets when the alarm blared loudly. Her eyes flew wide open and she sat up in bed, glaring hostilely at the alarm clock.

"Oh shut up," she grumbled as she hit the snooze button, turning the alarm off. Kagome rubbed at her eyes, yawning as she slipped out of bed. What time had she gone to sleep last night…?

Her face fell. Somewhere around midnight, if she remembered properly.

Maybe choosing to study medicine hadn't been the best idea… Kagome yawned once more, combing her fingers through her unruly hair as she gazed out of the single window in her one-bedroom flat.

Ten years later and she _still_ felt like a high school student. She'd heard people say that you never really stopped studying if you entered a medical profession, but she hadn't believed them. You had to stop studying at some point! So she'd decided to pursue medicine overseas, despite how her friends tried to dissuade her. At the time, she'd thought they were jealous. Now, ten years later, she understood how right they had been.

Kagome rubbed at her eyes once more, looking around as if to find something to jog her memory. Why had she set the alarm so early when she'd spent all of the previous night studying? Her forehead crumpled as she eyed a textbook that lay on her bedside table.

"Oh no!" How had she forgotten? She had a humongous test in two days' time! Looking panicked, Kagome snatched up the textbook and moved towards the solitary window of her apartment, where she was able to read by the already-visible sunlight.

As Kagome sat hunched over her textbook, someone who had known her ten years ago would not fail to recognize her. Apart from the familiar stance she adopted for studying and the slightly crazed look in her blue-gray eyes, Kagome also hadn't changed much physically. Yes, she had grown out her black hair – so much, in fact, that she had begun to start wearing it in a long ponytail that dropped past her waist.

Kagome had mixed feelings about the look she had adopted. She knew perfectly well how much it made her resemble Kikyo, the priestess whose reincarnation she was supposed to be. At first, she'd been upset at the fact, and had stubbornly worn her long hair in a braid for months. But when her fingers grew sore from plaiting her hair every day, she'd realized something.

Yes, it hurt to be reminded of Kikyo, the woman that Inuyasha had eventually chosen over her. It was hard to remember all the things Kikyo could do and she couldn't. But at the same time, it made her feel so close to the Sengoku Jidai to look like Kikyo – it made her wish that she _was_ Kikyo, the woman Inuyasha loved more than anyone else.

So it was with bittersweet feelings that she wore her hair back in a ponytail every day.

Oddly enough, her decision to study medicine had also been influenced by the Sengoku Jidai. When she had been travelling with Inuyasha and the others, she had gotten quite used to tending to wounds with her handy first-aid kit. When she returned to her own era, she wanted to know more about the process of healing. She had even researched on healing methods of the Sengoku Jidai. As a result, she began to become more and more interested in medicine and healing, until she decided that she wanted to heal people for the rest of her life.

Kagome stared blankly at the words written in her textbook, a small part of her mind telling her that she'd read the same paragraph three times and hadn't understood a word of it. She threw the book aside with an annoyed growl, drawing her legs up towards her chest and wrapping her arms around her knees.

There was no point in trying to study when her mind obviously wasn't on the wonders of biology. Kagome was sorely tempted to let her mind sink into remembrances of the Sengoku Jidai… but she refused to be weak. It had been hard to get over the fact that she would never see anyone from there again; but she had managed it, and she had no desire to send herself plummeting into a whirlpool of agonizing memories.

Maybe she wasn't fully awake, maybe that was why she couldn't concentrate on her studying. Kagome got to her feet, wincing as a prickling feeling in her right foot told her that that particular limb had fallen asleep on her. Hopping ungracefully towards the bathroom, she clutched the door frame to steady herself before she entered the washroom.

The prickling feeling in her foot ceased after a few minutes, and she gingerly let the foot rest on the floor. Satisfied that she would not stumble, she twisted the doorknob and walked into the small bathroom, opening the cold water tap and splashing her face with icy water.

"Focus," she spoke to herself sternly, ignoring how hoarse and croaking her voice sounded. "Just think of the holidays… after this test, you'll be free for three whole weeks…" Kagome beamed as she thought of what she would do over the vacations. A few of her fellow medical students had roped her into a cross-country drive, and she was looking immensely forward to the new experience. Kagome wiped the water off her face and spun around, determined to study until her eyeballs fell out.

* * *

"Aw man," she groaned, shaking her head, "that test was _awful_." Kagome clacked her teeth together as she shot a nervous glance at the other students streaming out of the classroom. She had finally gotten tired of revising her paper over and over again and had handed it in fifteen minutes before time, making her one of the first people to finish. It was only once she had exited the classroom that she had realized that she _knew_ the answers to some of the questions she'd been poring over. Kagome vaguely wondered if the teacher would let her take back her paper and scribble down the answers. Probably not.

At least it was over now. Despite – or perhaps because of – the fact that she was now officially on vacation, a nervous energy permeated her body. One foot tapped impatiently as she waited for her friends to emerge from the classroom.

After ten minutes of waiting, Kagome decided she'd speak to them later and allowed herself to be swept away by the crowds that headed for the building entrance. After completing her under-graduate in America itself, Kagome had opted to specialize in pediatrics. She knew that there was a good chance of her not being able to start her profession until the age of thirty or more, but she couldn't very well give up now. Besides, she'd always thought she was good with kids.

The sunlight outside was warm on her skin, and she allowed herself a small skip of excitement. Finally, she was free! The road trip would start in two days' time – she had to get ready and pack all of her things. Kagome ignored the taxis rushing around near the building and headed towards her apartment, which was roughly a fifteen-minute walk from university.

Once she opened the door to her flat and threw herself on the bed, she buried her face into her pillow. Somehow, now that she was away from the university, a road trip didn't appeal to her so much anymore. Nostalgia made her stomach churn. She hadn't visited Japan in a while…

Throwing her old plans out of the window, Kagome searched around her flat for her cell phone. When she finally located it, she dialed her house number, ignoring the fact that her family was probably asleep and that overseas charges were insanely expensive. She received the answering machine. Kagome cleared her throat as a pre-recorded voice told her to leave a message after the beep.

"Mama? Souta?" Her voice cracked ever so slightly on their names. "I'm coming home."

* * *

**AN: Whoo, this is a bit of a confusing chapter. Sorry about that… forgive me for dumping Kagome in America, by the way. I know it seems terribly cliched. Unfortunately, it was the only logical place I could think of that I knew well, apart from India… and honestly, very few people come to India to study _medicine_…**


	6. Chapter Six

_Evergreen_

**AN: I don't know why, but I have a sudden flow of ideas for this story! I'm so excited!**

**Let me know if you want Sesshomaru and Rin to play a bigger part in this story, by the way. So far, I only have one small scene planned for them. And if you've read my profile, you'll know that I am _not_ a SessRin shipper, unless you are talking about a father-daughter relationship.  
**

**Disclaimer: As always, Inuyasha and **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_** do not belong to me… they belong to Rumikoa Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively… I don't even have any merchandise of the two, sadly…**

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* * *

**CHAPTER SIX

"Where have you been?" Inuyasha eyed his daughter suspiciously, sniffing deeply. He could smell leaves and dirt on her. Well, that was nothing new… His golden eyes widened ever so slightly as he detected a faint smell of… was that rotting flesh? Why had Kagome been anywhere near rotting flesh?

Inuyasha wouldn't admit it to anyone else, much less Kagome herself, but in the past few weeks since Koga's arrival, he had felt himself warming up to his daughter. He wasn't sure why. It still hurt him to look at her and see her mother in her eyes, in her hair, in her every movement… despite Kagome growing up so wild, she still carried herself with a strange grace that reminded him so much of Kikyo. He never referred to her by her given name – it was always 'you' or 'girl' or something else. He'd often been sorely tempted to call her 'wench', but figured that fathers weren't supposed to be so rude to their own children.

Inuyasha didn't know how to be a father. His father hadn't been alive long enough to teach him how a father should behave. He'd never really had any sort of a father figure in his life, which was precisely why he found himself feeling so awkward around Kagome.

This protective instinct, however – it was natural. He felt it for Sango, for Miroku, even fore Kaede… he'd felt it for Kikyo and the original Kagome as well. Inuyasha's instinct to protect was almost as natural to him as breathing.

"Me? I haven't been anywhere." Kagome avoided her father's eyes as she attempted to put on an innocent tone. In fact, ever since she'd found out that the bone eater's well did not work, she had been paying it regular visits. Regular as in every day.

"Don't lie. I can smell leaves and soil on you." Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "And decaying flesh, for some odd reason." Sarcasm laced his words. "Can you tell me why I'd be smelling decaying flesh on you, girl? Been up to something?"

Kagome flushed rose-red and fixed her gaze on her feet. "No… j-just walking in the forest." She waved vaguely in the direction of the massive forest that housed the bone eater's well. Inuyasha's eyes flew open in disbelief.

He knew that Kikyo had told Kagome about the time she had pinned him, Inuyasha, to a tree for fifty years. Had she even told their daughter where the tree was located? Inuyasha felt a twinge of worry – Goshinboku was not far from the bone eater's well, which could explain the smell of flesh, but why would Kagome want to visit Goshinboku in the first place?

The bone eater's well… hadn't she asked him to take her there not too long ago? He squinted as he tried to remember. Yes, a few days before Koga had arrived…

Thinking of the wolf demon made his blood boil. Koga had been following his daughter ever since that day. Inuyasha felt like asking him if he had no shame, padding after a _child_, but he kept his mouth shut – Kagome was able to take care of herself, after all.

And indeed, the girl often asked Koga why he was following her. The wolf demon never responded directly. Kagome had a niggling feeling that he was following her into the forest as well, although she wasn't sure – his feet were light and quick, and she could never hear anything apart from the rustling of leaves when she went to visit the well.

Jerking his thoughts back to the present, Inuyasha frowned. Was it possible… was Kagome trying to access the era on the other side of the bone eater's well? Had Kikyo told her about that, too? The hanyou shook his head.

It was impossible. He _knew_ it was impossible. He himself had tried to open the well ten years ago… and if _he_ couldn't do it, why would this little slip of a girl be able to do it?

"Are you going to the bone eater's well?" Inuyasha's voice was sharp as he addressed his daughter. Kagome flinched, wondering how someone as obtuse as her father had managed to guess where she was going so quickly.

"Ummm…"

"You are, aren't you?" Anger flashed in Inuyasha's eyes, mingled with something else. "I'll tell you straight, girl – leave that accursed well alone, all right? Nothing's going to happen there." He turned his face away from hers, making an annoyed 'keh' sound. "Trust me, I know."

Kagome stared at her father, pity openly written across her face. Inuyasha turned back in time to see Kagome's expression, and his nostrils flared at the sympathy in her eyes.

"What're you looking at?" he spoke rudely, scowling fiercely. Kagome hastily rearranged her features.

"Nothing, nothing…"

"Well, stay away from that well, you hear me?" Inuyasha got to his feet and stalked out of Kaede's hut, effectively ending their conversation.

"Still as abrasive as ever, I see." Koga's voice was audible from outside the hut, and Kagome started, looking around hurriedly for an escape route. The wolf demon was really starting to annoy her. Finding no means of escape, she sighed and remained sitting as Koga sauntered into the hut.

"Hey there," he greeted her. Kagome didn't reply, shooting him an exasperated look. Koga, however, was perfectly oblivious as he stopped by the doorway, leaning on the frame and glancing around.

"Where's that old priestess who lives here? Kaede, right? Kikyo's sister?"

Kagome felt her annoyance mount with every one of his words.

"She's at auntie Sango's," the girl finally responded. "She's sick, so auntie Sango needs to take care of her. It's just me and papa here, and papa usually sleeps outside, as it is."

"Sick, is she?" Koga pondered her words for a moment. "Yeah, you're right. I can smell it from all the way over here. Doesn't seem like she has too much longer to live."

Tears threatened to obscure Kagome's vision as she stood and shot the wolf demon an incensed glare.

"Would you just leave me alone?" the girl shouted, moving towards the door and slipping past Koga. He looked dumbfounded, and stared after her blankly as she disappeared into the neighboring forest.

"Man, you have a talent for ticking people off, eh, wolf breath?" Inuyasha leaped down from a nearby tree, sniffing intently. "Damn it all, she's going to the well again," he grumbled. "Ah well, I'll go after her later. I have to talk to you first." The hanyou rounded on Koga angrily, his eyes spitting fire.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at? She's a freaking kid! Just because she looks like Kagome doesn't mean she's her, all right? Just leave her alone!" Inuyasha looked like he would say much more, but fury seemed to render him incapable of speech.

"Whoa…" Koga eyed the irritated hanyou. "Relax, man. It's nothing like that." He shrugged his shoulders, crossing his arms across his chest. "Just interested in your cub is all. Seems she inherited a fair bit of your spirit, eh, mutt?" Inuyasha merely growled at this. "Anyway, I already have a mate back home, so you don't need to worry. We have three cubs, too." Koga looked amused as Inuyasha's expression changed.

"… oh." Maybe he'd jumped to conclusions… "All right, then." Inuyasha coughed, suddenly aware of how dry his throat was. "Just… stay away from her. She doesn't like you following her." And with that, Inuyasha took off after his daughter.

* * *

"It's so nice to be back home, mama." Kagome hugged her mother and turned to the tall man who had come to pick her up with her mother.

He didn't look like someone she knew, but as Kagome studied him closely, she managed to recognize the familiar tilt of the eyes, the pointed nose and the infectious grin on his face. The man stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. Kagome squeaked as he pulled away, feeling sad that she had not been able to recognize her own brother.

"Souta… you've grown so much!" She felt embarrassingly emotional tears collect in the corners of her eyes, and she brushed them away with the back of her hand. The man – well, boy to her – grinned sheepishly.

"What, did you expect me to stay little forever, sis?" Souta looked amused at his sister's fruitless attempts to hold back her tears. "I was bigger last time you came, too, you know."

"I know, I know… you just look so different…" Kagome sniffled and forced herself not to become weepy in the middle of the airport. "Thanks for coming to get me." She smiled at her mother, who smiled back.

"It was no problem, dear." Just the kind of reply her mother would make – any mother would make. Her mother and brother had come to get her even though her flight got in at four in the morning their time.

Both of her family members, however, looked alert as Souta gathered her luggage and her mother wanted to know what Kagome had been up to. The woman allowed herself to soak up the companionable atmosphere before replying to her mother's eager questions.

They made their way out of the airport, all three of them laughing. It really did feel good to be back home, Kagome reflected as she helped Souta load the suitcases into the car.

She noticed that her brother was heading for the driver's side of the car. Sudden protectiveness flared up inside her.

"Souta… are you sure you're supposed to be driving?" she asked skeptically. Her younger brother laughed.

"Relax, sis! I got my license a while back. You don't need to worry." He winked at her as he opened the door, her mother getting into the passenger's seat. Kagome sighed and slammed the trunk of the car closed, opening the door to the back seats.

When they reached home, Kagome insisted that her mother and brother head off for bed. Her mother looked tired and nodded in agreement, heading up the stairs of the old Higurashi shrine. Souta stayed behind to help Kagome with her bags.

"So, is it fun over there?" Souta asked curiously. He had finished high school and his first year of college in Japan itself. Kagome grinned, hefting a particularly heavy suitcase.

"It's great!" she spoke enthusiastically. "It really is… but I missed you guys over here. Has mama really been okay, minding the shrine all by herself while you're at college?"

"Well, she hasn't been totally alone," Souta shrugged, picking up two suitcases, one in each hand. "She hired this girl last summer… what was her name… I can never remember. In any case, this girl helps her, so it's not too hard on her."

"That's good." Kagome breathed a sigh of relief as she headed up the stairs of the shrine. Souta followed her after locking the car, not even breaking a sweat while his older sister puffed and panted.

"Agghh… I've forgotten just how much of a pain these stairs are," Kagome gasped once she finally reached the top of the flight. She dropped the two suitcases she was holding and bent over in half, panting raggedly. Souta patted her encouragingly on the back.

"Not too far to go now, sis. C'mon, we're almost there."

"I _know_ that," she grunted, straightening her spine and grasping the bags in her hands once more. "Let's go, then."

* * *

The small girl ran her hands over the rough wood of the well once more, peering into the darkness. She knew her father was probably on his way to her at that very moment, and that he wouldn't let her come to the place again. Unfortunately, if Inuyasha disallowed something, it was very hard to act otherwise. Kagome clenched her jaw, staring down into the depths of the well.

There was no other choice. She had to try, at least. She pressed one hand against her collarbone, feeling the faint outline of the letter she'd hidden there.

_Please, let this work_, she prayed, and jumped.

Inuyasha burst out of the trees, immediately spotting his daughter leaning over the bone eater's well. He opened his mouth to call a warning to her, but before he could get anything out, he saw her close her eyes and jump into the well.

His heart stopped.

Blue light flashed from the well – light he hadn't seen in over twelve years. Inuyasha was only able to stare stupidly as the bone eater's well swallowed Kagome.

* * *

**AN: Shorter chapter… sorry! I wanted to end it right there, and couldn't think of anything else to put before it. The entire Inuyasha-Koga scene was so funny, I started laughing when I was writing it. I contemplated having Koga continue to follow little Kagome, but it's funnier this way, in my opinion… x)**

**I realize I've spelled Kikyo and Koga without the u, but Sota kind of looks awkward. I hope you're okay with me spelling it 'Souta'.**

**I've also changed all the Japanese words to English in this chapter. I'll be going back and doing it with the other chapters very soon as well! The only thing I've kept is Goshinboku, because I can't remember it's English name... and 'hanyou', because 'half-demon' sounds awkward.  
**


	7. Chapter Seven

_Evergreen_

**AN: Sorry for not updating for a while, guys! Anyway, this is the last chapter you****'****ll get before April, so you guys will get the next chapter on either Friday or Saturday.**

**I read chapter 494 of the manga today... God, I felt like strangling Souta when he popped up at the end, ha ha. Nah, he's a sweet kid, but it definitely looked like Inuyasha and Kagome were going to kiss... I am _such_ a fangirl.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own either Inuyasha or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**… they belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively…**

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* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN

Small Kagome squeezed her eyes shut as she felt herself fall, expecting to hit the bottom of the well with a thud. However, when moments had passed and she didn't feel anything below her, she ventured to open one eye. The other eye soon flew open with shock as she looked around.

She was floating through some sort of dark void. Small spots of brightness broke through the blackness from time to time, but apart from that, her surroundings were monotonous. Kagome glanced down at her body, startled to see it enveloped in a faint blue glow.

"What on earth…?" She felt herself moving upwards. Kagome tilted her head back, expecting to see something above her, but there was nothing. The girl frowned and moved her arms and legs, as if trying to swim through the void.

Suddenly, a brilliant light flashed across her vision, and she screwed her eyes shut. Her former feeling of weightlessness vanished, and she felt herself hit something solid with a loud sound.

"Oww…" The girl opened her eyes tentatively, glancing around warily. The dirt walls around her were identical to those of the bone eater's well. Had she really just fallen to the bottom of the well? A small part of Kagome's mind told her that her rear end was throbbing, and she rubbed the bruised body part idly as she continued to examine her surroundings.

Nothing looked different… Kagome got to her feet, deciding to climb back out of the well and face her father's wrath. Sighing at the thought, she stepped forward to search for the creepers she'd used to climb out of the well the first time, failing to notice that the floor of the well was not littered with bones.

Kagome circled the well bottom, frowning in confusion. She'd found no signs of any greenery. Where had the vines disappeared to? All she'd found was some strange cold contraption that seemed to stretch upwards, like the vines had. She didn't remember such a structure being present in the well.

Her bare foot collided with a small rock that stuck out of the ground's surface, and Kagome winced. She bent over to inspect her stubbed toe, pausing as she realized that the floor of the well was completely bare. Her forehead furrowed in puzzlement as she glanced around, taking in the soil floor. No bones in sight.

"Did they suddenly vanish…?" Kagome bit on her lower lip worriedly. Although the bones had terrified her the one time she'd fallen into the well, she was fairly sure that they couldn't have just disappeared – not in such a short time, at least. Unless someone had taken them out? But why would someone want to take bones out of a well?

All this thinking was making her head hurt. Kagome preferred to take action than sit and ponder over questions that didn't seem to have clear answers.

She'd use the odd structure she'd found earlier, she decided, straightening herself and turning around to head towards the contraption. She grasped it firmly, shivering at how cold the material was. Now that she looked closer, she could see that there were horizontal sticks placed at regular intervals along the length of the structure. Kagome sucked in a deep breath and pulled herself up, placing her feet on the first stick. She exhaled in relief as it held her weight, showing no signs of collapsing.

She clutched the two vertical rods tightly as she made her way up. Kagome could see that the entrance of the well wasn't far off – a faint gleam of light told her that, although it was far less than she expected. And where was the sky? All she could see was brown. She frowned deeply as she continued to climb, her worried expression fading as she felt the vertical rods' tip.

"Ah! Almost there!" She looked upwards eagerly, puzzled once more at the lack of sky. Shrugging slightly, she let go of one of the vertical rods and reached upwards, grasping the edge of the well. She placed her other hand next to the first, straining to hoist herself out of the well.

Her upper arms screamed in pain as she grunted and finally hauled herself out of the well. Panting in exhaustion, Kagome brushed some hair out of her eyes and looked around with narrowed eyes.

She was… she was definitely indoors. Panic made her head spin, and she almost fell backwards into the well again. Her body swayed, but she gripped the lip of the well firmly. What was she doing inside a hut? The place looked abandoned. Kagome blinked rapidly, fixing her gaze on a flight of steps right in front of her.

All right. So she wasn't in her own time anymore. Sudden excitement flooded her and left her breathless. Had the well managed to work? Her surroundings were definitely out of the ordinary. Kagome hopped off the edge of the well and proceeded up the stairs, her heart pounding loudly. What would her first glimpse of this new world be…?

Well, she had to wait for her first glimpse of the new world, unfortunately. Kagome scowled at the strange object in front of her that hindered her from moving outside. What _was_ this thing? A door… but how was she supposed to open it? The doorways in the village were usually covered by a bamboo mat, not a solid wooden structure like this. Kagome fought with the door for a few minutes, digging her nails into the wood and pulling with all of her might.

She failed to rip the door out of the doorway, and wished she had her father's demon strength. Scowling unhappily at the door, she noticed a small handle of sorts near the left side of the obstruction. She placed her hand on it, wondering what she was supposed to do with it. Kagome tried to pull at the handle, but the door made an ominous rattling sound. Kagome bit on her lower lip and twisted the handle, half afraid that it would break.

It didn't break. She heard some sort of barrier being removed, and the door swung outwards. Kagome looked thrilled as she skipped out of the small hut, only to stop and stare in amazement.

A large structure loomed in front of her. She wasn't entirely sure what it was – it resembled a hut, somewhat, but it was far fancier and much bigger. She counted about five windows – she guessed the open squares in the walls were windows – and had to suppress a shrill squeak of awe. Kagome pressed her lips together, turning away from the massive structure.

An ancient tree's branches swayed gently in the wind nearby. Kagome blinked, stepping closer to the tree. One hand reached out to touch a small dent mark on the tree's trunk.

The place where her mother had bound her father to Goshinboku…

Kagome recoiled in shock. Was this massive, twisted tree really the same Goshinboku that her father had been pinned to for fifty years? The girl's eyes widened until she could feel the skin around her eyes stretching. Did that mean she had actually managed to reach Kagome Higurashi's era?

There was no time like the present to find that out, Kagome decided as she looked around eagerly. Perhaps the huge structure she'd seen earlier housed the other Kagome…? The small girl walked towards it, unsure of what to do now that she had finally reached her destination. She placed one hand on the spot where she'd hidden her mother's letter, and felt strength pour into her body. The girl took a deep breath and continued to walk forward.

Unexpectedly, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Her confidence shattered, Kagome looked around frantically for a place to hide.

Too late. The person had already spotted her and had changed her path, heading towards her. Kagome took a step backwards, wishing she could flee.

The woman looked to be many years older than Kagome, perhaps around Sango's age. Her long black hair was pulled back, unlike Kagome's, and fell down to her waist. The girl watched the stranger approach with a bizarre sense of familiarity.

"Hello there…" The stranger was obviously trying to keep her voice gentle so as to not alarm the child. "What are you doing here all by yourself, huh?"

Kagome stared at the woman mutely.

"Did you come with your parents?" the woman tried again, glancing around as if hoping to spot someone else. "Perhaps to visit the shrine?"

"N-no." Kagome blushed in embarrassment at how high her voice was. "I mean… my parents aren't here."

"Did you lose them?" The woman looked concerned. "Do you remember where your house is, at least? A big girl like you can find her way back home, right?"

Had this woman honestly not noticed Kagome's clothing? It was far different from the stranger's. Kagome inhaled and exhaled slowly, her mind racing as she tried to invent a lie.

"N-no… I don't remember where my home is…" She allowed a tremble to creep into her voice. The woman's eyes softened at her tone, and she glanced up at the sky. The sun had already begun to sink beneath the horizon.

"Well… it's too late for you to go searching for them now." Her voice was decisive. "We'll find them in the morning, all right? For the meantime, I suppose you can stay with me. If that's all right with you?"

Kagome nodded. This woman… this woman looked like _her_. The same black hair, the same blue-gray eyes…

Was this… Kagome Higurashi?

* * *

Kagome stared down at the small girl in front of her who resembled her so closely. She had been startled to find a child wandering around the grounds – after all, she was far from the shrine, and seemed to be quite purposeless. Kagome had intended to shoo the child away, taking her for some sort of troublemaker – but that was before she inspected the girl closely.

So the girl was lost. Strange that she couldn't remember where she lived – she looked around nine or ten years old, and children of that age were usually mature enough to know their way back home. And her outfit… Kagome narrowed her eyes as she tried to think of why the outfit looked so familiar.

She placed one arm around the girl's shoulders, feeling her stiffen. Kagome shook her head, keeping her voice soft.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I live here – my family and I take care of the family shrine, you see. You have nothing to be afraid of."

Why was the girl staring at her so intently? Kagome felt unnerved. Such a look did not belong on the face of a child – it was sharp and knowledgeable. How was it possible that this girl could not find her way home, but could stare at her with such knowing eyes? The woman felt oddly nervous under the child's gaze.

"Here we are. This is my home," she explained to the child as she approached the house. "I'm sure you must be hungry. I'll ask my mom to prepare something for you, too."

Kagome left the girl in her bedroom and flew down the stairs, her heart racing. Why had she just picked up a strange girl and brought her into her home? What was _wrong_ with her? The girl could be from anywhere! Where had her sanity fled to? She may as well open an orphanage in her house and invite random children in!

"Mama… would you mind making extra for tonight's meal? There's this little girl… I think she came here with her parents and got lost. I found her near the – " Kagome cut herself off. Her mother stared at her quizzically.

"Anyway," Kagome hastily added, "it's too late to search for her parents now. She can sleep in my room tonight, but she'll probably want something to eat, if that's okay…?"

"Sure, dear." Mrs. Higurashi did not question her daughter's decision, but she certainly looked perplexed.

You're not the only one, Kagome thought silently as she walked up the stairs and into her bedroom.

"Hey…" The girl was seated on the floor and was looking around the room suspiciously, acting like a wild animal trapped in a cage. At the sound of her voice, the girl jumped, turning to face Kagome.

"You can sit on the bed, you know. I don't mind."

The girl looked confused, and Kagome pointed towards her mattress. Did the girl not even know what a bed was? Where had she been brought up?

"Oh…" The girl tentatively clambered onto the bed, squeaking in surprise as the mattress bounced slightly. Kagome looked amused.

"You won't fall off," she chuckled, moving to sit on the edge of her bed. This girl was truly strange. She had appeared out of nowhere, didn't know where her home was, had lost her parents and now didn't even know what a bed was.

"I wonder why your parents let you wear such dirty clothes," Kagome mused out loud, studying the girl's garb critically. "I should be able to find some of my old things. They might be a bit big for you, though…"

The girl shook her head quickly. "I'm fine," she spoke unsteadily. "I don't need other clothes."

Kagome frowned. "All right then…" It really wasn't any of her business. She sighed and kicked off her shoes, pulling her legs onto the bed. The girl squealed as the mattress shuddered again.

"What's your name?" Kagome tilted her head to one side, as if the new angle would help her discover something else about the girl. "I never did ask."

The girl frowned. "It's Kagome," she finally answered reluctantly. Kagome felt her eyes widen in surprise.

"Hey now, you stole my name!" she joked, suppressing the urge to playfully poke the girl in the side. The girl – Kagome – smiled uncertainly.

"So you're Kagome, too?" she asked, as if wanting to clarify something. Kagome nodded.

"I guess I'll call you little Kagome, so that I don't confuse myself," the woman added. The girl Kagome looked circumspect.

"Why… why did your parents name you Kagome?" The woman Kagome looked startled at the child's words.

"Why did they name me Kagome?" The woman tapped her chin thoughtfully, shrugging her shoulders after a few minutes of thinking. "I don't know. I guess they just liked the name." The girl cocked her head.

"Why did _your_ parents name you Kagome?" the woman asked. The girl smiled slightly, pulling her knees close to her chest and hugging her legs.

"I don't know. I guess they just liked you."

* * *

**AN: Just little Kagome and big Kagome in this, I'll write about Inuyasha and the others in the next chapter.**

**It is SO confusing to write 'Kagome' again and again… I end up using 'the girl' and 'the woman' instead of their names. Any suggestions for what I should do to prevent everyone from being utterly confused?**

**I wasn't terribly fond of this chapter, the flow seems awfully off. But little Kagome fighting with the door made me laugh. From the manga and anime, I've seen that the huts in Kaede's village mostly have a door frame with a bamboo mat hanging from the frame – so I figured little Kagome wouldn't know how on earth to deal with a door.**

**For anyone who's seen the original **_**KKHH**_**, you'll recognize that last exchange between the Kagomes. I love that part in the movie! So sweet! =D**


	8. Chapter Eight

_Evergreen_

**AN: April Fool's! Luckily for you all, your April Fool's Day joke is a good one - you get an extra chapter! Yay! Neither of the Kagomes are in this chapter, you'll have to make do with Inuyasha, Koga, Sango and Inuyasha being sappy. Gasp!**

**I'm almost done with the manga... on chapter 546. I feel like crying! Do you know, I cried when Kikyo died in the manga, and when I heard _Sotsugyou - Sayonara ha Ashita no Tame ni_, the song played in episode 124. As much as I love Inuyasha and Kagome as a couple, I think my favourite character has to be Kikyo.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or _Kuch Kuch Hota Hai_. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

**

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT

"Kagome…" Inuyasha's claws dug themselves into the wooden lip of the well as he leaned forward precariously, his sharp golden eyes managing to sight the bottom of the well. He half-expected to see her at the bottom, a broken, crumpled bundle… the well was not particularly deep for him, but Kagome was a human, and a child at that…

He growled in frustration. If only he had been a few seconds quicker… if only he hadn't stayed to argue with the scrawny wolf… it took him a moment to realize that he'd scoured the entire floor of the well, and that there was no sign of a body, limp or otherwise.

Inuyasha felt himself release a breath he hadn't known he was holding. So, she really _had_ passed through the well. He wasn't sure whether to feel glad or angry. On one hand, at least she was relatively safe, and hadn't broken her neck by jumping down a well. On the other hand – how on earth had she managed to access the well in the first place? Envy flared up in his chest. He himself had tried to activate the well many years ago, after Kikyo's death. He still wasn't sure why – maybe he wanted Kagome's quiet companionship, or maybe he wanted to tell her that he had changed his mind. The thought made him flinch.

In any case, it was obvious that his daughter was gone. Where, he couldn't be completely sure – he didn't even know if the bone eater's well connected to Kagome's era anymore or not – and he couldn't follow her.

Or could he? Inuyasha eyed the floor of the well speculatively, figuring it wouldn't hurt if he attempted a jump. Maybe his daughter had somehow opened the well once more, and he would be able to visit Kagome again? The hanyou took a deep breath, unnaturally nervous as he prepared to hurl himself into the well…

A rough hand grabbed the back of his robe and jerked him away from the well. Inuyasha spluttered, the pressure against his throat startling him. He felt his rear end connect with the ground, and swore loudly.

"What a dirty mouth you have, mutt-face." Koga sounded hugely amused as he watched Inuyasha scramble onto his feet. The hanyou scowled darkly, folding his arms across his chest.

"What did you do that for, you idiot?" he spat, looking hugely put out. Koga didn't know about the bone eater's well, and he couldn't try to activate it while the wolf demon persisted on hanging around. "I wasn't going to fall."

"Sure you weren't." Koga shrugged carelessly. "I didn't expect a thank you from you, anyway."

"Shut it." Inuyasha glowered at him, turning back to gaze at the well thoughtfully. He would have to come back later and try again… when he'd managed to chase Koga out of the village and far away from himself, of course.

"What the hell are you doing skulking around an old well, anyway?" Koga glanced around the clearing, shaking his head. "Broken down old well in the middle of a forest… it's weird. Did someone live here or something?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. He didn't expect Koga to know about the time-travelling abilities of the well, but honestly, hadn't he _ever_ heard of the bone eater's well before?

"No. This is where the bones of demons go. I thought even you would know that, wolf-breath." Inuyasha sniffed, wrinkling his nose as Koga's stench intensified. The wolf demon took a step towards him.

"You didn't answer my first question, though." Koga sounded truly curious. "What're you doing here in the first place?"

Inuyasha bristled angrily. "None of your business," he snapped, wishing he could plug his nose. The wolf scent seemed to have gotten nastier over the past twelve years.

"Guess not." Koga seemed cheerful enough about Inuyasha's abrasive reply. "Didn't you go after your daughter, though? Where is she?"

"Again, none of your business!" Koga's interest in his daughter unnerved Inuyasha. Sure, the wolf said that he had a mate and pups, but who knew the truth of it? In any case, the hanyou didn't want Koga within twenty feet of his daughter.

"Did she get lost in the forest?" Koga sniffed, his tail twitching in surprise. "Hey, wait… her scent is strong here…"

"Is it?" Inuyasha's voice was laced with sarcasm. "I wonder why!"

Koga ignored the hanyou and walked towards the well, sniffing around its exterior. "Yeah, it's fresh… but it just vanishes from here." Koga lifted his head, inhaling deeply and glancing around. "No sign of where she could've disappeared to."

Inuyasha smirked, finding the wolf demon's examination of the well amusing. He decided not to let Koga know that he already had a fair idea of where Kagome had gone. "Yeah, yeah. You keep searching then, I'm heading back."

Koga looked puzzled. "What, you're not worried about your cub? You're not a very good father, are you?"

That hit a little too close to home. "Shut up," Inuyasha snarled. "I know where she is – at least, I'm pretty sure. So why should I worry unnecessarily?" He realized what he's said a moment too late, and hurried to add, "Not that I'm worried about her… she can take care of herself."

"Huh." Koga didn't look impressed. "You really _are_ a bad father. I feel sorry for your cub, mutt-face. No mother and a stupid father." He got up from his kneeling position by the well and shrugged. "Then again, any cub of yours has to have the worst luck. Spunky little thing, though, isn't she?" He grinned at the memory of when Kagome had lashed out at him earlier.

"You stay away from my daughter, you got that, wimpy wolf? She doesn't like you, anyway!"

"Well, she needs _someone_ to look out for her, someone who can protect her…"

"She has Sango and Kaede!"

"Ah, but how well would they be able to protect her? Against demons and such? No, she definitely needs someone a little more reliable. Seeing as her father's decided he wants nothing to do with her…"

"Stop taking words out of my mouth, dammit! I never said that!"

"But you're not worried about her, are you?"

"That's because I'm pretty sure she's safe!"

"Well," Koga continued, ignoring Inuyasha's angry words, "I've officially appointed myself Kagome's protector and bodyguard!"

"Why don't you appoint your ass back to your stupid pack and mate?!"

"And as her protector," still ignoring Inuyasha, "I should get to work trying to find her! See you, mutt-face!" Koga gave the hanyou a mocking wave and sprinted away.

Inuyasha growled in annoyance. Twelve Koga-less years and the stupid wolf had to go and show himself again… he shook his head. He knew Koga wouldn't be able to find his daughter. The thought cheered him up enormously, and he allowed his feet to lead him back towards the village.

Kagome… his daughter _was_ a spirited one. He grinned slightly at the thought. Just like her old man. Even though he had avoided her for so many years, he had still been keeping an eye on her. Although he knew his daughter was fully human – apparently, hanyou genes weren't very dominant – he was sometimes sure that she had some demon blood in her. Like when she had stood up to Koga, that first night. How painfully she had reminded him of her mother… and her namesake.

Inuyasha's steps slowed, and he swallowed uneasily. Would he never be free of the memories of the two women? He had lost both of them, each in a different way, and their losses had affected him deeply. Kikyo – well, he was already used to missing Kikyo. How many times had he mourned her death? Too many to count. In a way, it made it easier for him – he was so used to the ache that it didn't hurt anymore. Ten years was a long time to learn how to control your pain. Now, when he remembered her, he remembered her quietness – her determination – the feel of her black hair between his claws and the unspoken passion in her eyes. Kikyo had been so much like himself – both of them found it hard to speak their feelings aloud.

Kagome, on the other hand… he and Kagome had always been opposites, except when it came to their tempers. Missing Kagome had a completely different quality than missing Kikyo – it was still a raw wound that refused to heal. The pain intensified due to the fact that she was alive, but far beyond his reach. If he had made one different choice, he could have been returning home to a smiling wife and children, without having to worry about his only daughter.

Inuyasha didn't realize that he had come to a complete stop until he felt something slither over his feet. Startled, he looked down in time to see a small snake move past his feet and into a small knothole at the base of the trunk of a tree.

He smiled slightly, his eyes glazed as he continued to be caught up in memories of Kikyo and Kagome.

It was only when he smelled Koga nearby that his head cleared. The wolf's nauseating stench brought him back to the real world, and Inuyasha shook his head, as if trying to throw something particularly disturbing out of his ears.

Had he really been thinking all of that? he wondered, vaguely disgusted with himself. Had he really been thinking such sappy, sweet words? Inuyasha's eyes widened in dismay.

Was he turning into a sentimental, spineless fool? Did love do this to a person? Horrified with the revelation, Inuyasha started towards the village in a full sprint, determined to forget all traces of the thoughts he had been having.

* * *

"Inuyasha? What on earth are you doing?" Sango eyed the hanyou in puzzlement as she gently patted the head of her youngest son. Inuyasha froze in mid-pace, one foot still hovering in midair.

"Um… nothing?" he offered weakly, his reply sounding more like a question. Sango rolled her eyes and got up from her previous kneeling position.

"Could you kindly take your 'nothing' outside? You're going to wake my children," she spoke in a sharp whisper. Inuyasha's ears drooped, and without a word he stalked outside, resuming his pacing once he was a few feet away from the hut.

He couldn't help himself. He was consumed with worry, as much as he would rather die than admit it to anyone. He didn't know if his daughter was safe or not – wasn't it the proper father thing to be worried? Inuyasha ground his teeth together, stopping his nervous pacing as Sango emerged from the hut.

"All right, spill." The demon slayer had on a no-nonsense tone. "You've been fidgety ever since you got back from the forest in the afternoon. What's wrong?"

"Keh. It's nothing." Sango sighed, pressing one finger to her forehead. She should have known better than to take the direct approach with Inuyasha. The hanyou never revealed his feelings under normal circumstances.

"All right, then can you tell me where Kagome is? She was supposed to come visit lady Kaede in the evening, and she didn't come. She wasn't at Kaede's hut, either." Sango watched Inuyasha for any signs of emotion, but his face remained expressionless.

"Really now."

"Yes, really." Sango was losing her patience quickly. Trying to wrestle information out of Inuyasha tended to do that to a person. "Would you just tell me where she is? I'm worried about her. You know how much she loves lady Kaede, I'm sure she would never go back on her word to visit the old woman."

Worried… the word reminded Inuyasha of the unwanted feelings that were bubbling in his gut. He didn't _want_ to be worried about her, dammit! It was hard enough worrying about himself and Sango and Miroku and even Kaede… He found himself spitefully wishing that his daughter had died, and that Kikyo had lived.

"Inuyasha?" Sango was still waiting for an answer. Feeling ashamed of his thoughts, Inuyasha turned his head away.

"She went through the well."

Sango's eyes widened, and she stared blankly at the hanyou. "Are… are you serious?" she managed to choke out, stunned. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, turning back to the demon slayer.

"I don't joke about such things," he retorted sharply, one ear flicking idly. Even though he felt uncomfortable outside – after all, his silver hair tended to stand out more in the moonlight than the sunlight – he knew that there was less chance of being overheard outside.

"You can come out, you know," he added in a loud voice. "Stupid wolf, thinking he'd be able to hide…"

Koga had a dark scowl painted on his face as he emerged from the nearby bushes, spitting out leaves. "Well, haven't you been having fun?" Inuyasha spoke mockingly. "Think my daughter's hiding in a thorny bush, do you?"

"Shut your mouth, mutt-face," Koga retorted. "Why the hell were you two talking about a well? Which well? The one in the middle of the forest?"

Sango lifted her hands. "Slow down," she commanded the wolf demon. Koga looked sullen, but he closed his mouth.

"I'm guessing Kagome never told you about the well, then." Sango debated the pros and cons of telling Koga, and finally decided that since he had already heard the conversation, he deserved to know what was going on.

"The bone eater's well connects our time to an era five hundred years in the future. I don't know how it works. Kagome used it to go back to her own time twelve years ago, and since then, it hasn't worked. However, little Kagome seems to have been able to activate it." She nodded towards an annoyed Inuyasha. "Inuyasha says he saw her disappear through the well."

"Why are you telling that wimpy wolf everything?" Inuyasha finally exploded. "He has no right to know!"

Koga ignored Inuyasha, his attention fixed on Sango. "So the cub's five hundred years in the future?" He looked staggered. "How do we get her back, then?"

"_We're_ not going to be doing anything," Inuyasha spoke sharply. "_I'm_ going to try to pass through the well and get her back. It shouldn't be too hard if the well activates."

"Why you?" Koga stared at the hanyou with undisguised dislike. "Why not me?"

Inuyasha's ears were thrown forward aggressively. "Because I'm the only other one who had pass through the well, that's why!" he snapped in reply. "Apart from Kagome, that is. So I'm going to go to the well right now, and I'm going to _make_ it take me to the other era."

Koga regarded him stonily. Inuyasha cracked his knuckles, figuring a short fight wouldn't hinder his search for his daughter. He had been itching to dig his claws into Koga for a while. The hanyou adopted an offensive stance, smirking at Koga.

"You want to fight, eh, wimpy wolf? I'll send you back to your mountains with your tail between your legs!"

Koga exhaled loudly. "No."

For a moment, Inuyasha wondered if he had mistaken the wolf's words. Had Koga honestly just turned down a fight? He stared at the wolf demon blankly.

"Right now, it's more important to get your cub back. Don't worry, mutt-face," he added at Inuyasha's poorly disguised dissatisfaction, "I'll happily rip your head off when you get back." He grinned at the hanyou, flashing his fangs.

"I'll be the only one doing any ripping here," Inuyasha muttered, loosening his tense muscles.

* * *

"It doesn't work." Inuyasha clambered out of the well, his hair disheveled and his golden eyes narrowed angrily. "It's not working for me."

Sango looked concerned, while Koga merely looked contemptuous.

"Get out of there, mutt-face. This obviously needs a _real_ demon." Before Inuyasha could react, Koga jumped down the well.

"Ahh! There are bones down here!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes, running his claws through his silver hair.

"I _told_ you, a defeated demon's bones appear in the well. What, you didn't believe me?" He looked highly amused as Koga's face appeared over the edge of the well, his claws digging into the wood as he hauled himself out of the structure.

"It was just startling," the wolf demon muttered, embarrassed at his reaction.

"So the well has closed itself once more," Sango mused, moving to touch the wooden exterior with one hand. "That means Kagome is on her own."

All three looked somber at the words.

* * *

**AN: Bit of strong language from Inuyasha, but he **_**is**_** all about strong language, after all… don't worry, he won't swear as much as he does in the manga or even in the anime. Apart from 'hell'.**

**We go back to the two Kagomes in the next chapter! I'm not fond of this chapter, but I'm very rarely happy with my work, so yeah…**

**That scene when Inuyasha realizes what he's been thinking about Kagome and Kikyo made me laugh. Silly Inuyasha... it's okay to be nice sometimes...  
**


	9. Chapter Nine

_Evergreen_

**AN: There wasn't much of a response to the last chapter... did I disappoint you guys with it? I'm sorry.**

**I've finished chapter twelve of this story, so I think it's pretty safe to say that it will probably be around seventeen to twenty chapters long. For anyone who's watched _KKHH_, the ending I have planned is nothing like the ending in the movie.**

**Fear not! Cute InuKag scenes will soon make an appearance. If you count them yelling at each other as cute... um. Off topic. If you want fluff, I'm afraid you'll have to wait for a while.**

**Last thing, I promise! I've been on the lookout for a beta reader - I PMed two people, but neither have replied. I think my sentence structure could be loads better, which is why I'd love someone to proofread my work for me. Anyone interested in putting up with me? Ha ha.**

**Disclaimer: As always, Inuyasha and **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_** do not belong to me… they belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

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* * *

**CHAPTER NINE

Kagome ran one hand over the small girl's forehead, noticing the small furrow between her eyebrows. The woman sighed softly, her fingertips attempting to smooth out the rumple. The girl's frown, however, remained – and after a few minutes, Kagome merely gave up.

The girl intrigued her greatly. For one, she looked so much like herself… Kagome was struck by a shiver as she glanced down at the girl, taking in her slumbering form. A small smile flitted across her face – had she looked like that when she'd returned from the Sengoku Jidai to a real bed?

Sengoku Jidai… Kagome bit down on the inner lining of her cheek, wondering how her thoughts had wandered back to it. She had spent almost two entire weeks at the shrine without thinking of the place even once. It had been a relief – although she certainly hadn't expected a respite from her memories at her old home, of all places.

Kagome had let the girl – she still silently referred to little Kagome as 'the girl', unwilling to name her – sleep in her bed, and had occupied her grandfather's old room. After his death, her mother had begun using it as a storage room, and she hadn't been able to get much sleep in the eerie dusty room.

"Hmm…" The girl opened her eyes, and Kagome averted her gaze from her face. Little Kagome sat up, stretching her arms above her head and yawning widely.

"That was a nice dream…" the girl murmured, still half-asleep. "Bit weird… wonder why the mat is so soft…" Little Kagome blinked rapidly, looking down at the pale pink covers.

"Oh!" She snatched her hand away from the coverlet as if it had been burned. Kagome let out a forced chuckle.

"Sleep well?" the woman questioned, folding her hands in her lap. Little Kagome looked up, startled, and seemed to remember something as she laid eyes on the woman.

"Huh? Yeah, thanks." The girl's reply was oddly absent – she was studying Kagome intently. Kagome found herself scrutinizing the girl as well, running her eyes over the unkempt hair and the stained kimono. The woman felt a frown crumple the skin on her forehead – how on earth did the girl's parents treat her? They didn't wash her, they didn't provide her with new clothes, they let her roll around in mud from the looks of it, and they abandoned her at a shrine.

"I'm sorry." Little Kagome's words were so unexpected that Kagome had to fight to keep a blank expression on her face. When she gazed at the girl quizzically, little Kagome turned red and let her eyes rest on her hands. "For dirtying your bed," she elaborated, gesturing vaguely to the messy sheets that were covered with strands of hair and smudges of dirt. Kagome held back a sigh – she'd have to strip the sheets off the mattress and wash them. Well, she'd been meaning to wash her bed sheets before she left, anyway.

"It's not a problem." Kagome's voice was light as she got up from the mattress, extending a hand towards the girl. "I think you should have something to eat before we go to find your parents."

Little Kagome's face fell. "Find my parents?" she repeated. Kagome looked puzzled.

"Yes…" Was it possible that this girl didn't want to go home? Kagome wasn't surprised – if she was treated so shabbily, why would she want to return? But then again, she couldn't keep the girl. Her mother was getting old, and found it hard to take care of the shrine even with hired help – Kagome couldn't foist a child on her as well. It wasn't possible for her to take the girl back with her, either.

Kagome was silent as she tried to think of what to do, and little Kagome watched her quietly. Finally, the woman sighed.

"Come on. Mama's probably not up yet, but I can get you something if you want."

Little Kagome's hands went to her stomach, and she rubbed it gently. She hadn't realized how hungry she had been the previous night – the girl had practically inhaled everything in sight. As Kagome watched the girl pat her stomach, the memory came rushing back, and she had to fight back a smile. The entire spectacle had reminded her of another voracious eater…

Little Kagome noticed the woman's eyebrows pull together and hopped off the bed. She wondered what Kagome was thinking about.

"It's all right," the girl spoke in her politest voice. "I'm not really hungry."

Kagome laughed. The sound was unexpected, and little Kagome found herself laughing as well.

"All right. I _am_ hungry, though, so I'll make something for myself. You can stay up here, or you can come down with me."

The pink room made little Kagome nervous, so the girl opted to follow the woman. Kagome trotted down the stairs, inhaling deeply. Her classes would start again in another week… she would have to leave soon. The woman looked unhappy at the thought – it had been so pleasant to be back home.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Kagome noticed the girl taking a seat on one of the chairs lining the kitchen walls, her legs swinging energetically. The woman smiled at the sight – it was such a childish gesture, one that befitted the girl. Kagome tilted her head to one side, wondering once more what kind of a household the girl had been brought up in.

"So… do you remember what your neighborhood looks like, at least?" Kagome questioned the girl as she prepared her breakfast. Little Kagome shrugged.

"Kind of."

Kagome scrunched up her nose and exhaled loudly. It was obviously going to take time to pry answers out of the girl.

"What's your last name?"

The girl stared at her blankly. Kagome felt herself flush, although she wasn't particularly sure why. Maybe it was because it was so unsettling to be stared at by a pair of eyes that were so like her own.

"Your parents' names?" the woman finally asked, tucking strands of hair behind her ears. She always wore her hair loose when she slept, and it had a tendency of getting terribly tangled if she did not tie it first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, she hadn't tied it yet, and it streamed around her – falling past her waist, swaying as she moved.

Kagome fiddled with the stove, silently marveling at the fact that she _still_ didn't know how to cook. Her food at her apartment usually consisted of canned goods and other food items that were easy to prepare. At her home, however, preparing a meal took a little more effort.

Her bare feet slid across the tiled floor as she rummaged through the various cupboards in the kitchen, always aware of the girl's penetrating gaze on her. Kagome lit the stove with the vague idea of boiling something.

It was then that she discovered just why she never lit fires before tying back her hair. The kitchen door swung open as Souta entered the room – the gust created by his entrance caused strands of her hair to whirl around, and one such unfortunate strand happened to make an acquaintance with the flame she had just lit.

"MY HAIR IS ON FIRE!" Kagome shrieked, staring at the burning strand of hair with an expression of absolute terror. Souta blinked, rubbing at his eyes.

"What?" he spoke groggily, thinking he'd heard wrong. Little Kagome, however, quickly slid off her chair and padded towards older Kagome, tugging on a fistful of the woman's hair. Kagome turned sharply, her eyes widening as she met the blue-gray gaze of the girl.

"It's just a couple of hairs," the girl sighed, finding Kagome's hysteria quite unnecessary. Kagome looked at little Kagome uncomprehendingly.

"Just… a couple…?" she echoed, looking faint. Kagome would never admit it, because it sounded terribly vain, but she was extremely proud of her hair. To see it being burned – to smell her scorched hair – it made her feel woozy.

* * *

Little Kagome glanced around, wondering where on earth she could find water in the strange big hut. Locating no helpful bucket of liquid, she turned to Kagome.

"Where's the water?"

The woman looked blank. Little Kagome found herself wondering if the person she had been named after was quite in her right mind.

"The water?" she repeated. Kagome seemed to pull herself out of her daze.

"The water, of course." She shook her head, moving to the contraption she had called a 'sink' the previous night. She twisted one of the knobs suspended above the sink, and a stream of water flowed out of it.

Little Kagome stared at the stream of water in amazement. While Kagome ran her fingers under the water and used them to douse the small flame, little Kagome crept closer to observe the water that seemed to magically gush out of the small pipe.

Kagome looked embarrassed about her screaming and glanced at her 'namesake', noting her fascinated look. Little Kagome looked up as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks… guess I panicked," Kagome spoke sheepishly. "That'll teach me to come down with untied hair." The woman shook her head and pulled something off one wrist, using it to tie her long hair back. Little Kagome lifted some of her own hair, inspecting it closely.

It was dirty and tangled. It had been quite a few weeks since Sango had last managed to drag her into a stream for a bath – little Kagome guessed it was even before Koga had arrived.

The thought of the wolf demon brought a scowl to her face. Kagome didn't miss the angry expression that crossed the girl's face.

"What's wrong?" she questioned as Souta ambled across the kitchen to open one of the cupboards. The entire episode with Kagome's burning hair had not fazed him, and he collected a box of cereal and a bowl before exiting the kitchen.

"N-nothing…" Little Kagome realized that she tended to stutter when she was nervous around this older version of herself. "Nothing at all," the girl added, trying to sound more convincing. Kagome didn't look convinced.

"Really." The woman shrugged, having obviously decided not to pry. "Still not hungry? I think I lost my appetite after that." She twisted another knob, and the fire on the silver machine flickered out and died. Little Kagome had to hold back a flood of questions that threatened to burst out of her mouth. If she asked Kagome about any one of the contraptions around her house, the woman would become suspicious. Little Kagome wasn't sure if she would ever tell the woman where she was from, or even tell her who her parents were. It seemed that Kagome had made a life for herself, and why would she want to leave it all for her father?

_But she loves him,_ a small voice inside her head protested. Little Kagome flinched.

_Did_ Kagome still love her father? There was no way of finding out without mentioning his name, and that would give everything away.

"Hey… little Kagome?" Evidently, the woman had become worried at the girl's lack of response. Little Kagome blinked and shook her head.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. No, I'm still not hungry…" The girl shrugged, glancing around the kitchen with bright, curious eyes. Her fingers itched to touch the shining surfaces she saw everywhere – but she held the urge back, knowing that she had to remain on Kagome's good side. Messing up this… _kitchen_ of hers would probably not make the woman very happy.

"You never gave me an answer earlier, you know." Kagome' voice was light, but it was obvious that she was intensely interested. Little Kagome frowned.

"What was the question again?" she asked, trying to stall for time. Her parents' names were sure to betray her identity to Kagome.

"Uh…" The woman frowned. "Do you know, I think I've forgotten… in any case, before we go looking for your house, I think you need some cleaning up." Kagome surveyed the girl critically, and little Kagome felt herself blush at the scrutiny.

"I'm clean…" she spoke defensively, but as she glanced down at her dirty and ripped kimono, she knew that there was no way she'd be able to get out of this. Little Kagome let out a silent groan as she felt the woman grasp her by the wrist and proceed to drag her upstairs.

* * *

"Ah! This water is so hot!"

Kagome's eyes widened at the little girl's words. She'd been especially mindful and kept the water lukewarm when she ran the bath, but apparently even that was too warm for little Kagome. Once again, Kagome found herself speculating what the girl's lifestyle was like. Every time little Kagome protested about something around the house, or a certain practice, Kagome felt herself grow more and more frustrated. She _knew_ she was missing something, some vital clue to the girl's identity. There was no possible way that anyone could not know what hot water was, not unless they lived in abject poverty.

Kagome mulled over her thoughts as she picked little Kagome's kimono off the floor, where the girl had unceremoniously thrown it. A small folded piece of paper or parchment or something fluttered out of the folds of the cloth, dropping on the floor with a soft sigh.

Kagome leaned down to pick the object up. As she tucked little Kagome's filthy kimono under one arm, she was seized by an inexplicable urge to open the paper. It looked like some sort of a letter – perhaps it would hold information on little Kagome's family and life. Surely it couldn't hurt to take a tiny peek?

The woman's fingers twitched, but Kagome fought back her curiosity, placing the folded paper on her dresser. Even if little Kagome was a small girl, she deserved her privacy. She would just have to find a different way of prying the information out of the girl.

Laughing a little at the delighted sounds issuing from her bathroom, Kagome made her way down the stairs, nodding to her mother in the kitchen. She would wash the kimono for the girl and return it to her – what else could she do? Little Kagome had made it very clear that she did not want any other clothing. Kagome entered the laundry room and left the kimono lying on a table, moving around to locate the washing powder needed by the washing machine.

The woman returned to the table, picking up the kimono and studying it intently. Although it was covered with dirt and all sorts of grime, she could detect bright patterns under the layers of mud. Curious, she took the kimono over to the nearby sink and ran it under the water for a few minutes.

Ignoring the washing machine, Kagome rinsed out the kimono by hand, eventually clearing away the muck and revealing a colorful piece of clothing. Her eyes ran over the fine embroidery, and she was convinced that there was no way little Kagome could possibly own such a kimono and not know what hot water was. Unless she had stolen it…

No. The article of clothing fit the girl perfectly – it must have been made just for her. As Kagome ran her thumb over the now-soft material, she once again wondered about the mystery behind the little girl.

* * *

**AN: Ah man, you have NO idea how badly I wanted Kagome to peek at the letter! But no, alas, she does not find out about little Kagome's parentage in this chapter. This chapter is pure randomness, nothing more – the entire hair-on-fire scene came out of nowhere. The way the two behaved there reminds me of Serena/Usagi and Rini/Chibiusa of **_**Sailor Moon**_**… except Rini's from the future, not the past.**

**I really like big Kagome and little Kagome****'s interaction. There's something very endearing about it.**

**A bit of bad news - I won't be posting next week. Sorry! But you guys got two chapters this week, so be happy! (Don't kill me?)**


	10. Chapter Ten

_Evergreen_

**AN: All right, I couldn't leave you guys without an update. It just feels totally wrong! So I've uploaded chapter ten to keep you guys occupied until next Saturday. (: Enjoy! I hope the other characters that I've introduced in this chapter are not hugely out of character. If they are - please tell me!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or _Kuch Kuch Hota Hai_. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

**

* * *

**CHAPTER TEN

"Hey… little Kagome? I found this in your kimono." The woman offered the folded letter to the girl, whose eyes widened alarmingly as she saw what was in the woman's hands. Little Kagome snatched back the object, her eyes narrowed.

"You didn't see what was written inside, did you?"

Kagome looked perplexed and a little put out. "Of course not. I don't peek at other people's things," she spoke in a haughty tone. Little Kagome didn't seem to notice the woman's cold words and hugged the papers close to her chest in obvious relief.

"Thank goodness…" Little Kagome tucked the papers away into the folds of her clean kimono. Her cheeks were flushed – she'd let the hot water run for a little too long, and had almost scalded herself before Kagome had come to the rescue. Still unused to being so clean – Kagome had then proceeded to scrub every inch of little Kagome's body – the girl extended one hand and gazed at her palm, noticing how the skin on her fingers looked wrinkled.

"Hey… why did this happen?" The girl thrust her hand into Kagome's face, wiggling her fingers for extra emphasis. "Why did my skin go all strange?"

The woman blinked, gently pushing little Kagome's hand away. "It's because you spent so much time in the water," Kagome explained. "It tends to make your skin wrinkled like that. Don't worry, it's temporary."

Little Kagome felt hugely relieved. If the wrinkly state of her hands had been permanent… well, it would have been one more excuse to avoid baths.

The girl touched her hair with one hand, running her fingers over the wet strands. Kagome had brushed out the tangles from the hair with infinite patience – she never tugged at a stubborn snarl, and she never yanked the comb through little Kagome's hair like Sango did. The girl had a sneaking suspicion that she had actually fallen asleep while Kagome had been brushing her hair.

She could feel the woman's eyes on her. Little Kagome turned to meet Kagome's gaze, and was startled by the raging curiosity in them. Her hands instinctively went to where she had hidden the letter, and she saw Kagome's eyes narrow.

Well. So _that_ was what the woman was interested in. Little Kagome let her hands relax and drop into her lap. Why had she come into the future era in the first place? To take Kagome Higurashi back to her own time. Perhaps it was time to start dropping hints.

"That letter you found… it's a letter from my mama." Kagome's gaze sharpened with interest as little Kagome continued. "See, my mama died giving birth to me… but before she died, she wrote me ten letters about herself and her life. So I could get to know her a little. This letter," she touched the hidden object, "is the last letter she wrote to me."

She saw Kagome's eyes soften with sympathy. The woman looked as if she was about to scoot closer, but hesitated. Little Kagome wondered why.

"It's nice having her letters," Little Kagome finally spoke after a small pause. "But at the same time, if I didn't have her letters, I wouldn't be able to miss her. If I didn't know what she was like… I wouldn't have anyone to miss. I would just grow up without knowing what a mother is like."

She heard Kagome inhale sharply and felt the woman's arms around her.

"You sound so old when you speak like that," the woman murmured, gently patting the girl's hair. "Why? Why is it that you are so wise and so childish at the same time?"

Little Kagome tensed in the woman's hold, unsure of how to react. But as Kagome's strokes lengthened, and as she rubbed small circles in the girl's back with one hand, little Kagome felt herself relax into the embrace. It felt nice to be held so tenderly.

"I'm not wise," she found herself saying in an almost scornful tone. "I'm not wise at all."

Kagome pulled away and gazed levelly at the girl. "Why would you say that?"

Little Kagome clenched her hands into fists. "I'm just not," she repeated stubbornly, unwilling to admit the truth to the woman. If she was wise… if she was wise, she would know how to stop her father from hating her. She would know how to make him love her, how to win his trust and adoration. It was hard to be without a mother. It was even harder to be without a mother and a father.

* * *

Kagome shrugged slightly, unwilling to argue. "So that's why you carry it around with you, huh… your mother's last letter…" She felt a surge of pity for the young girl in front of her. "That's tough."

Little Kagome wrinkled her nose and did not respond.

"Well." Kagome got to her feet, stretching her arms above her head. "I think it's time you returned to your family, then. Your father… your father must be worried about you."

The girl started, as if the idea had not occurred to her. She glanced at Kagome with round eyes.

"Yeah…"

"Shall we, then?" Kagome offered. "Go find him, I mean."

For some reason, panic seemed to flash across the girl's face. "No!" little Kagome spoke loudly. "I mean… not yet. Please. Can't I stay with you one more night?" The girl looked pleadingly at Kagome. "I like it here."

Indecision made Kagome's stomach churn. On one hand, she felt a strange affection towards the child – she seemed like a strong child, but she had a fragility under the tough exterior. But on the other hand, she couldn't keep the child with her, not when her family might be looking for her. For all she knew, her family might have already alerted the police, and she might be arrested for trying to kidnap a child.

Oh, yes. It sounded like something that would happen to her, of all people. Kagome sighed, placing one finger on the bridge of her nose.

"I think you really should go back. Your family must be out of their mind, searching for you." The girl looked crestfallen, and Kagome felt her resistance melt at the sadness in her eyes.

"Well…" She relented. "Maybe just one more night."

* * *

"Sango?" The demon slayer turned, brow furrowed, at the sound of her husband's voice. Miroku approached her slowly, his expression concerned.

"Sango, you've been sitting there for an hour, muttering about something… what's wrong? Why won't you sleep?"

After returning from the bone eater's well, Sango had been unable to fall asleep. Worry and anxiety for little Kagome made her toss and turn, and she had eventually slid out of bed and had taken a spot near the cluster of sleeping mats where her children slept. She felt oddly peaceful as she watched their small sides rise and fall in slumber.

"It's nothing, Miroku." Her voice sounded dull. The monk frowned, raising his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Come now, Sango. Do not insult my intelligence so. I can tell that something is bothering you." He took a seat next to her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. "You know you can tell me."

Sango leaned into her husband's side, taking comfort from the warmth of his body. "I'm just… just so worried," she confessed, gazing at her sleeping children. She glanced up at Miroku's face and was met with a frown.

"Worried? About what?"

Sango rubbed the knuckles of one hand with her fingers. "About… about Kagome." She heard a small, rasping cough from the place where Kaede slept and stiffened immediately. Miroku hugged her closer in reassurance.

"Don't worry, lady Kaede is fine for now. About Kagome? Why, what's happened to her?"

"She's somehow managed to activate the bone eater's well and has passed through it." Sango rested her head on Miroku's shoulder, exhaling slowly. She felt his body tense in surprise at her words.

"Activate… the well?"

"Yes. She asked me to show it to her a few weeks ago, but it didn't work for her then… I didn't expect it to, but I was still disappointed. But now… Inuyasha saw her go through it himself. There's no doubt about it, she somehow opened the well again."

"Can't Inuyasha use it to go and fetch her back?"

"That's just the thing… he can't. I went with him and Koga to try – "

"Hang on, _Koga_?" Miroku's voice was an incredulous hiss as he spoke. "What does Koga have to do with all of this?"

Sango shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. I thought he would return to the mountains as soon as he discovered that Kagome wasn't here, but he hasn't left…"

He sighed, rubbing at his temples. "Sango… I know it is hard not to know what she is up to." His voice was soft. "But you have to stop fretting about her. You cannot do anything to help her right now. Besides," and here Miroku's voice took on a wry tone, "she _is_ Inuyasha's daughter. I daresay she is able to take care of herself."

Sango laughed, and then immediately pressed a hand to her mouth as one of her children grumbled and rolled over in her sleep. "True. I'm just… she was like another daughter to me, Miroku. I loved her like one."

"You speak as if she no longer exists." Miroku's tone was light.

"I know it's wrong… but she's in a different world now. A different era. How will she be able to cope? I'm so afraid for her…"

"Ssh." The monk cradled his wife to his side, rubbing her upper arm reassuringly. "Don't worry, Sango. Kagome will be all right."

"I certainly hope you're right." She sighed, allowing her husband to lead her back to their sleeping mat.

* * *

"Well, damn. What the hell is _he_ doing here?" Inuyasha stared at the person in front of him with narrowed golden eyes. The tall man blinked slowly, pushing past his half-brother.

"Step aside. I am not here to see you, and you know it."

"I kind of figured that out," Inuyasha grumbled, whirling around to watch the retreating back of his brother. He knew that Sesshomaru was heading for Kaede's hut – that was, after all, where Rin usually stayed. However, as he saw his brother halt in mid-stride, Inuyasha was sure his brother had detected the girl's fresher scent coming from Sango and Miroku's hut.

Rin had moved in with the demon slayer and the monk when Kaede had fallen ill, unwilling to leave the old priestess's side. It was a good thing that their hut was big, Inuyasha reflected, what with all of their children and old Kaede and Rin to boot.

"Why is Rin with the monk and the demon slayer?" Sesshomaru's voice was cool as he turned to fix his half-brother with a questioning look. "Does she not stay with the old priestess?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Kaede had to move in with Sango and Miroku," he informed Sesshomaru curtly. "She's on her last legs, after all, and I ain't about to look after her."

"No, I don't suppose you would." Sesshomaru's tone held the faintest trace of amusement. "In any case, I suppose I shall visit her at their home." He was about to continue on his way when something seemed to occur to him. The demon turned, looking as if he was about to say something, and then suddenly snapped his mouth shut. Keeping his gaze ahead of him, Sesshomaru almost glided down the path towards Sango and Miroku's hut.

It was only when his half-brother had disappeared from sight that Inuyasha noticed a crumpled-looking green bundle at his feet. The hanyou rolled his eyes and knelt down, unceremoniously poking the imp in the side.

"Oi, Jaken." Sesshomaru's constant companion leapt up with a start, his bulbous eyes nearly bugging out of his head as he looked around frantically.

"Where is my lord?" he squawked. Inuyasha pointed towards Sesshomaru's destination and Jaken took off in the same direction, huffing and panting. Inuyasha felt his lips twitch upwards. Really, Jaken's devotion to his brother was almost touching.

Deciding he really had nothing better to do, Inuyasha trailed after them, making sure to keep a few feet away from Jaken. He didn't want to make it look obvious that he was following the imp, after all.

As he arrived at the hut, he saw Sesshomaru waiting outside with Jaken next to him. A moment later, Rin appeared in the doorway.

She had grown tremendously since Sesshomaru had first left her with Kaede – her transformation from child to woman seemed to stun the demon, even though he regularly visited her to give her all sorts of gifts. Lately, however, Sesshomaru hadn't visited the village in a while, and Rin's delight and relief at his appearance was written all over her face as she approached him.

"My lord Sesshomaru!" she spoke, bowing her head in front of the demon. Sesshomaru brushed away her courteous action with one slender hand.

"Rin. You are well?" His voice was cold and flat as always, but it was possible to detect a faint undercurrent of warmth in his words. Rin brightened and nodded her head eagerly, her dark hair flying. She no longer wore it in her childish style of a single side ponytail – her hair was now braided, and fell past the middle of her back.

"Yes, my lord. I am well."

Inuyasha was sure that his half-brother knew he was nearby, but Sesshomaru ignored the presence of the hanyou. "Has the old priestess been treating you well?"

"Yes, my lord." Rin hesitated, looking as if she was about to say something, but decided against it and inclined her head once more. "Lady Kaede treats me most kindly."

"Good." Sesshomaru studied the woman carefully. "Rin… I come to ask you to make a decision."

Rin's head flew up, and her startled gaze met Sesshomaru's golden eyes.

"I left you here, in this village, so that you would learn what it is like to live amongst humans. You have lived here for twelve years. Have you enjoyed this time of yours?"

The woman bit her lower lip. "Y-yes, my lord."

"Will you join me once more, Rin? Will you travel with me?"

Inuyasha tensed, shocked at his brother's words. Since when had Sesshomaru ever been so polite? Since when had Sesshomaru ever _asked_ instead of demanding?

"The world is dangerous. I will not try to hide this fact from you. You will be lonely. You will not have the company of other humans."

Rin lowered her gaze once more. The demon kept his eyes on her, and Inuyasha sorely wished he could see Sesshomaru's expression – his half brother's back was turned to him.

"I…" Rin's voice faltered. "I like it here, my lord. I have made many friends in this village." She raised her eyes, looking imploringly at the demon. "I know… I know I cannot ask you to stay here," she spoke. "Truly, lord Sesshomaru, I will never forget the days of my youth, when I travelled with you… but I have grown too used to these surroundings. To leave here would destroy me."

"I see." Sesshomaru appeared oddly calm. "That is your decision, then? You will not accompany me?"

"I…" Rin looked anguished. "I'm sorry, my lord."

Sesshomaru did not reply to her apology. "I am glad to see you are well," he spoke brusquely. "Jaken and I will be on our way, then." The demon turned away, and Inuyasha was surprised to smell a tinge of sadness in his brother's scent. Sesshomaru very rarely felt such an emotion.

"My lord!" Rin ran forward, tears blurring her eyes. "My lord, please… please do not be angry. I merely… I mean…"

Sesshomaru turned, raising a hand to silence her. Rin fell silent.

"I am not angry." His voice was composed. "This is your decision. I am not angry."

"Forgive me, lord Sesshomaru…"

"There is nothing to forgive." Sesshomaru's eyes softened ever so slightly. "I only wish for you to be happy. If you can only attain happiness in this village, then so be it."

His words seemed to stun Rin, as the woman remained frozen while Sesshomaru turned. Appearing upset at his lack of restraint over his emotions, the demon lord picked up speed as he raced down the path. Rin watched him go with tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Inuyasha." The hanyou jumped at the sound of his name and glanced at his half-brother. "Take care of her." Sesshomaru's tone sounded more like a command than a request as he sped past his brother, heading for the surrounding forests. Jaken ran after the demon lord, his sides heaving.

"M-master! Please wait…!"

* * *

**AN: Aww. I've been wanting to write a Sango/Miroku and a Sesshomaru/Rin scene for a long time. I hope I didn't make them **_**too**_** out of character! I figured Miroku deserved some love and so I did not have him grope Sango. I mean, geez, there's more to him than being a pervert, right? And to make this abundantly clear – I do **_**not**_** ship Sess/Rin. I look at them as father/daughter ONLY. I'm hoping that scene comes across as a father/daughter scene.**

**Gosh, I think I****'m making little Kagome****'s life way too miserable. She seems like such a Mary-Sue with the tragic past and all that. I promise you, though I will try my best not to make her into a cliched character.**

**Sesshomaru was too nice with those last words of his to Rin. Bah.  
**


	11. Chapter Eleven

_Evergreen_

**AN: Okay, I don't want to sound mean or anything, but I'd like to make one thing clear.**

**You may not like how this story is going. That's understandable - it's my story, after all, and I tend to add plot twists whenever I feel like it. You may not like how I've characterized a certain character. If that's the case, let me know what you think I'm doing wrong. Don't just tell me I've done such and such badly - tell me _why_ you think I've done it badly.**

**I'm saying this because I have a feeling most of you will not like something later in this chapter.**

**Other than that - happy reading! Thanks to all of you reviewers! Special shout-out to _kittykritik_, who gave me a ton of constructive criticism. I will try to keep your words in mind during later chapters! If I post a chapter I feel is too filler-ish, I'll post another chapter with it, to keep you guys satisfied.  
**

**PS: Sorry for making this update one day late! I'll stop now, before this AN is longer than the chapter...  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own either Inuyasha or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**. These two fantastic stories belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

**

* * *

**CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Good night." Kagome ran one hand over the girl's face, smoothing little Kagome's hair away from her eyes. It was only about seven in the evening, but the child had been yawning frequently, and Kagome had decided to put her to bed. Little Kagome blinked sleepily and smiled up at the woman.

"G'night." She yawned again, snuggling deeper into the comforting softness of the mattress. How would she ever be able to get used to hard sleeping mats again? As little Kagome's eyes drifted shut, a sudden thought made her sit up with her eyes still half-closed.

"Eh?" Kagome had been about to leave the room, but she paused when the girl sat up in bed. "What is it?"

"If you…" Little Kagome bit on her lower lip, and Kagome wondered what was bothering her. "If you want to look at the letter," little Kagome finally spoke, "that's okay with me." Maybe it would be easier that way, little Kagome mused. Maybe her mother would explain things more easily to Kagome than she ever could. Where would she start? _Hello, I've been hiding something important from you since we met – my dad is Inuyasha, the guy you were in love with, and my mom is Kikyo, the woman he eventually married instead of you! Now that that's out of the way…_

The very thought made her cringe. Little Kagome wasn't very good with words, after all.

Her gaze returned to Kagome. The woman stood in the doorway, looking undecided and stunned at the girl's words.

"Thank you," Kagome finally spoke. "I'm glad you trust me with something so important. But I won't do that. It's your last memento of your mother. It's special to you – I would never dream of looking at it."

_Lies_.

Little Kagome shrugged, fuming inwardly. Why did the woman have to be so, so _good_? Why couldn't she understand that reading the letter would make everything so much easier? "All right," the girl replied casually, drawing the papers out of her kimono and gingerly placing them on what Kagome called a 'bedside table'. "I'll leave them here, just in case."

The girl saw Kagome's eyes dart over to the papers and smiled to herself. Lying back down, she drew the covers to her chin and closed her eyes, breathing slowly. Her newly-washed and combed hair felt soft against her cheek as she rolled over onto her side, curling her body into a cup shape and drawing her knees close to her chin. She was vaguely aware of soft footsteps and a creak as someone sat on the mattress – after that, she was lost to the world.

* * *

Kagome stared at the girl's face as she slept with one hand under her cheek, her breathing deliberate and even. Her fingers twitched as she fought the urge to place one hand on little Kagome's head, to stroke her hair until it grew dark outside. Her eyes wandered to the letter lying on the bedside table and then quickly darted away. Even though little Kagome had told her that she could look at the letter, Kagome felt it was morally wrong to read what a mother had written to her child.

Sometimes, she wished she didn't have morals.

Faint sunlight streamed in through the window in her room. Kagome sighed, trying to force herself to get up and continue packing for her return to the States. She hadn't managed to get much work done that day – she had been far too busy supervising the girl and making sure that she did not get up to mischief. She might have called little Kagome wise earlier, but the girl was still only ten years old.

Somehow, though, she couldn't make herself stand. She remained frozen in a seated position on the mattress, gazing at the face of a girl she had known for only a day. A face that should have been strange, but that was instead achingly familiar.

Had she looked like that when she was ten years old? Had she looked so worried when she slept? Kagome reached out with one hand, tentatively placing her fingertips on the girl's cheek. Little Kagome did not stir. A faint smile crossed Kagome's face as she let her fingertips rest on the girl's warm skin.

After a few minutes, she lifted her hand with a regretful sound. As much as she would have liked to continue to watch the girl sleep, she really had to pack. Kagome rose from the bed and made her way out of her room, shutting the door gently behind her.

* * *

"Mama… do you know where I kept those pink socks of mine?" Kagome rifled through the huge pile of laundry, sounding frustrated. "Those are my favourite socks! I could have sworn I'd seen them here earlier…"

"Honey, I don't know." Mrs. Higurashi did not allow any impatience to creep into her tone, although she was certainly growing aggravated at her daughter's shrill questions. "Maybe you already packed them?"

"No! No, I _know_ I haven't packed them." Kagome looked aggrieved as she unceremoniously dumped the laundry into a basket, beginning to pace the floor. "Unless… wait, maybe I packed them day before…?" The woman pursed her lips as she tried to remember.

"Why don't you go check?" Mrs. Higurashi suggested. Kagome nodded.

"Good idea…" She was about to move towards the exit when she remembered that her suitcases were in her bedroom, where little Kagome was sleeping. She didn't want to wake the girl, but she really had to find out if her pink socks were packed or not.

"What's wrong?" Mrs. Higurashi had noticed her daughter's pause and turned towards her, looking curious. Kagome hesitated.

"Um… well, see, that girl I found yesterday… she's kind of sleeping in my room, where my bags are. And I don't want to wake her up."

"Ah." Understanding dawned on Mrs. Higurashi's face as she remembered the girl her daughter had taken into the house the previous day. "But wasn't she supposed to go home? I thought you were taking her back to her parents in the afternoon?" It wasn't that Mrs. Higurashi disapproved of the girl's presence, exactly… all right, she _did_ disapprove. But only because she didn't know where the girl came from. Her parents would be worried – her daughter really should have taken that into account.

"I know!" Kagome sounded desperate as she chewed on her bottom lip. "The thing is, she asked me to stay one more night… and I couldn't help it. I'm sorry, mama. I know I shouldn't have done something like this without your permission."

Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "It's all right, dear," she replied tiredly. "I'm sure she won't wake if you just peep in there to check on your bags. You were a very sound sleeper at that age, you know."

Kagome laughed slightly, rubbing her forehead with one hand. "I guess you're right." Her features softened. "She looks so peaceful when she's asleep."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "I remember when you were still young enough for me to tuck you into bed and read you a story… you used to fall asleep and I would sit by you, watching you sleep. I used to sit on your bed for hours, just gazing at your serene face." She looked at her daughter fondly. "You've grown up a lot since then, but part of me still remembers you as that sleeping child."

Kagome found herself growing teary at her mother's words, and darted towards her to envelop her in a hug. Mother and daughter embraced for a moment before Kagome broke away, hurrying out of the laundry room and towards her bedroom.

Her mother watched her go with a wistful smile. "They grow up so fast…"

* * *

Kagome twisted the doorknob, pushing gently at the door with her shoulder. She winced as the hinges creaked loudly, praying under her breath that the girl was still asleep. When Kagome opened the door fully, sure enough – little Kagome was still fast asleep. The woman sighed in relief, making sure to keep her weight on her toes as she moved towards the suitcases that she had kept near her cupboard.

Now, which one had she put her clothes in…? Kagome stared at the nearly identical suitcases, looking troubled. Perhaps it was the one in front… it made the most sense, considering that she still had to finish packing her clothes. But maybe it was the one that was closer to the bathroom – hadn't she put her toiletries into the bag with her clothes? She groaned in irritation – would she really have to open all of the suitcases and check each one of them?

The sound seemed to distress the girl in the bed. Kagome froze as the child grumbled something under her breath and rolled over so that she was sleeping on her back. Kagome held her breath until she heard the child's breathing even out once more, and she reached forward to pull the nearest suitcase closer to her.

Little Kagome mumbled something again, and Kagome stiffened once more. Perhaps the girl was having bad dreams. Abandoning her luggage for the moment, Kagome crossed the room and stood by her bed, gazing down into the face of the little girl.

The light had disappeared, leaving her room in shadow. She couldn't quite make out the girl's features anymore, but she didn't need to. Kagome leaned down to rest her hand on little Kagome's forehead, marveling at how alike they looked. It was almost freakish, how similar they were – the same black hair, the same blue-gray eyes, the same facial structure, although little Kagome's features were softer than her own…

Who else did the girl remind her of? Kagome stared down at her, chewing on the inner lining of her cheek. There was someone else… Kagome twirled a strand of hair absently around one finger when the answer came to her. She caught her breath.

It couldn't be. Surely not.

The letter still sat on the bedside table. Kagome reached out to pick it up with shaking fingers, clutching the papers close to her chest as she exited the room silently. Like a thief, she crept into the nearest bathroom and locked the door, flicking on the light switch and seating herself on the edge of the bathtub.

She could hear her heart hammering as she unfolded the sheets, her eyes widening in amazement as she read the salutation. _Dear Kagome…_ Kagome flipped through the pages, catching snatches of words here and there, until she arrived at the last page. Her eyes ran down the lines of words, finally arriving at the name she had been looking for.

_Kikyo._

_Your mother, Kikyo._

Kagome felt tears fill her eyes and drip down her cheeks, splashing on the letter in front of her. She stared at the three words in dumb shock, unwilling to even wipe away her tears.

Kikyo… Kikyo was little Kagome's mother. And that meant…

Kagome closed her eyes and pressed the bundle of papers to her chest, bowing her head and allowing her tears to drop onto her knees. Her mouth formed the same word over and over again – no, no, no.

It wasn't supposed to end up like that! Kikyo wasn't supposed to _die_! Not again! Kagome's tears fell faster as she hugged the letter to her, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to hold back her tears.

It didn't occur to her, in that moment of grief, that little Kagome's presence in her era meant something startling was going to happen soon.

* * *

Kagome returned to her room and placed the letter back on the bedside, wiping at her red eyes. She took a seat on the mattress, her gaze fixed on the sleeping face of the little girl. Her heart ached as the girl frowned in her sleep and turned over again, her shoulder pressing into the pillow.

Kikyo was little Kagome's mother. That could only mean that her father was Inuyasha. Unless… unless it was another Kikyo… Kagome shook her head. The chances of that were too great. There was no possible way that this girl could look so much like her, have a mother named Kikyo and _not_ be Inuyasha's daughter.

Kagome contemplated picking up the letter again and reading its contents, but her entire being recoiled against the idea. Who knew what Kikyo had written to her daughter? As much as Kagome had envied the beautiful and talented priestess, she would not violate her daughter's privacy any further.

The woman sat by the sleeping girl all night, until she finally fell asleep with her head dropping forward, her chin resting on her collarbone.

She awoke the next morning with a painful crick in her neck and dried tears on her cheeks. Kagome raised one hand, frowning as she placed her hand on the back of her neck. Why had she fallen asleep while sitting up…? Then she saw little Kagome in her bed and the memories came rushing back.

Kikyo was dead. A small, spiteful part of Kagome was gleeful. Her eternal rival was _finally_ dead – dead and unable to come back. However, the rest of her grieved at the priestess's passing. Kikyo had not always been kind to her, but she had not deserved to die yet again – and her daughter had not deserved to be left alone, without a mother.

The girl in the bed stirred, stretching her arms above her head. Kagome massaged her neck and watched little Kagome as she awoke.

"Good morning." Kagome's voice was quiet, but she tried to inject it with a note of cheerfulness. Apparently, the ploy hadn't worked – little Kagome frowned and cocked her head, looking at the woman curiously.

"Um… morning… why were you crying?" Kagome had to fight back an absurd urge to laugh at the girl's blunt question. Little Kagome may look like her mother, she reflected, but she was certainly far more like her father in demeanor.

"I… I looked at your letter." Kagome half-expected the girl to yell at her about invading her privacy, but was unsurprised when little Kagome merely looked impatient.

"So?"

"So…" Kagome fidgeted with the bottom of her wrinkled shirt. "So I didn't know Kikyo was your mother." Her words came out in a whisper.

Little Kagome shrugged. "What of it?"

Kagome stared at the girl. "What of it?" she echoed. "That… your father is Inuyasha, am I right?"

Kagome saw indecision flicker across the girl's face before little Kagome rearranged her features into a bland expression. She knew what the girl's answer was, but she could not help holding her breath as little Kagome opened her mouth and spoke.

"Yes."

* * *

**AN: Again, bit of a short chapter… sorry! I think Kagome **_**would**_** cry over Kikyo, even if she was insanely jealous of her when she was alive. She's just got a big heart.**

**To whoever read the opening AN, I was referring to Kagome crying over Kikyo. Yes, she was incredibly jealous of Kikyo, but Kagome's proved herself to have a very kind heart, and I think her first reaction would be grief.  
**


	12. Chapter Twelve

_Evergreen_

**AN: I'm SO sorry for sounding so mean in the AN of the previous chapter! I had no idea so many of you would agree with what I had Kagome do. I apologize for the rudeness of that AN, and because I felt so guilty about it, you get this extra chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**. These two stories belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWELVE

"I didn't know," Kagome whispered in a hushed voice. "I didn't know…"

Little Kagome thrust her chin out in a defiant manner. "What does it matter?" the girl spoke sharply. "You know now, don't you? It's not that big of a deal, surely."

Kagome pressed her hands to her mouth, far too overwhelmed to scold the girl for her rude words. Of course, after she had seen Kikyo's name on the letter, she knew that there was no doubt about who little Kagome's father was. Nevertheless, hearing the confirmation from the girl's own mouth… it threw the woman. No wonder little Kagome hadn't known anything about sinks and taps and beds – she was from the Sengoku Jidai!

Realization gripped Kagome, and she swore softly under her breath. If little Kagome, a resident of the feudal era, was here, in her time… that could only mean…

"You came through the well!" Kagome stared at the girl, aghast. "You used the bone eater's well to get here, didn't you?"

"Of course." Little Kagome shrugged. "You know of any other way to time-travel?"

"Of course," Kagome echoed, shaking her head. This was bad. She wasn't prepared for this! She had settled into her new life just fine, and she had no wish to be pulled away from her studies and thrust back into the confusing world of the Sengoku Jidai. Yes, she missed her friends there, and thought of them often – but that didn't mean she was ready to return to them. The _idea_ of the feudal era was much more appealing than the actual place.

"Anyway." Little Kagome wasn't sure what the expression on the woman's face was, but it did not look promising. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to explain what had happened in the twelve years since Kagome had left the Sengoku Jidai. Kagome was probably just in shock at discovering her parentage. Little Kagome flashed the woman a bright smile and plowed onward.

"So it basically goes like this – my mama died giving birth to me, right? So auntie Kaede took care of me, and auntie Sango helped her out. And then…"

"Whoa." Kagome held up one hand, the other hand currently massaging her temple. "Slow down. Wait a minute."

"What?" Little Kagome felt her features twist into an expression of annoyance. "Do you or do you not want to know about what happened after you left?"

Kagome flinched. "Not really, no," she muttered, dropping both hands so that they rested on the mattress. Little Kagome stared at her with undisguised surprise.

"What do you mean, 'no'? You have to know what's going on!"

"No, I don't," Kagome snapped, her patience wearing thin. "I don't want to know about any of this, all right? I'd rather remember my friends the way they were when I left them than finding out that they've changed."

Little Kagome blinked. "But… you _are_ going to come back with me, right? To my time?"

"What on earth gave you that idea?" Kagome's eyes narrowed, and she momentarily forgot that she was talking to a young girl. "I'm _not_ going back there. I don't belong to the Sengoku Jidai, I never have and I never will. Besides, I'm happy here – I've got my work and I'm going to be a doctor." She could hear a note of desperation creeping into her tone. "I have everything sorted out, and now you want me to drop it all and come back with you?"

"Well… yes." Little Kagome frowned. That had been the plan all along – to get Kagome Higurashi to return with her to the feudal era. She had thought that the woman would be so pleased to find the well functional again that she would jump into it without a second thought. Instead, Kagome seemed to be determined to avoid the feudal era at all costs.

What frightened her so much? Little Kagome wondered. So much that she didn't want to return to a place that she obviously longed for?

"Forget it! I'm not going with you." Kagome refused to meet the girl's gaze and stared stonily at her bedroom wall. "If that was all you came here for, you may as well go back. You're not staying here another night, I can tell you that."

No, no, no! This was turning out all wrong! Little Kagome shook her head frantically.

"You have to come with me!" The girl's voice was pleading, and she reached forward to touch the woman's arm. Kagome flinched at the contact, but little Kagome continued. "Everyone misses you! Even after twelve years, they still haven't forgotten about you! You should hear auntie Sango talking about you… and Shippo! Shippo's always talking about you, too, whenever he visits home. Even Rin talks a lot about you. Can't you see how happy they'd be if you came back?"

Kagome remained silent, her insides shriveling up as the girl failed to mention the one name she both longed to and despaired of hearing.

"And…" Her voice failed her, and Kagome turned her head aside. "I'm sorry, Kagome." Her tone was heavy. "I can't go back with you. This is my life now. It always has been." The woman rubbed her knuckles against her upper lip, feeling the feathery touch of millions of tiny hairs.

"I don't understand." Little Kagome's voice was quietly accusing. "I thought you missed them as much as they missed you. I guess I was wrong." The girl hopped off the bed, looking disgruntled. "Mama was wrong. He doesn't need you." Sniffling loudly, little Kagome snatched the letter from the table and marched out of the room, intent on leaving Kagome Higurashi's era and never returning.

Kagome sat on her bed, staring after the little girl. What had she said? 'He doesn't need you.' Kagome felt her heart begin to thrum erratically. Who was 'he'? Surely the girl didn't mean…

Her eyes softened. Had Kikyo really written that in one of her letters to her daughter? Had she asked her daughter to bring Kagome back to the Sengoku Jidai?

Kagome wasn't sure if she was flattered or not. On one hand, it meant that Inuyasha might still harbor feelings for her. The very thought made her blood sing. It was terribly pathetic of her to still moon after a man who had never returned her feelings, but Kagome couldn't help it.

On the other hand… was she merely a replacement for Kikyo? Was she meant to meekly walk back into his life and acknowledge the fact that he had chosen another woman over her, to be content with second place? Kagome felt anger build up in her lower abdomen.

"Not a chance," she vowed, getting to her feet. "Little Kagome is sweet, but I'm not going to go back and let everyone think I have no spine. I promised myself I'd never go back, and I won't break that promise now." Setting her jaw in a straight line, Kagome walked over to her suitcases and opened the first one, sifting through the contents.

It was only when she had found the pink pair of socks she'd been looking for the previous night that it occurred to her – why had the bone eater's well started working again, all of a sudden?

* * *

Her bare feet thudded against the warm stones below her as she wrapped her arms around herself, breathing fiercely. Where was the well house? The girl glanced to and fro, her eyes darting rapidly until she caught sight of the familiar Goshinboku. She made her way over to the sacred tree, a dark scowl on her face and fat, angry tears welling in her eyes.

"Why?" she shouted at the ancient tree, pounding her clenched fists against the scarred trunk. "Why won't she come back with me? She was supposed to fix everything!" The tears spilled over, tricking down her cheeks and dripping off her chin. Little Kagome let out a strangled sound that sounded dangerously close to a snarl. She raised one fist from the trunk of Goshinboku and swiped at the wetness on her cheeks, only succeeding in spreading the dampness all across her face.

Her long hair had been tied back the previous day after Kagome had brushed it out, and the woman had even cleaned her kimono. Nursing her now-throbbing knuckles, little Kagome glanced down at her attire, gritting her teeth at its spotless perfection.

She raised one hand and savagely tore at the strange object Kagome had used to tie back her hair, yanking at it fruitlessly before managing to slide it down the length of her hair and remove it. The girl hurled the object as far away as she could and used her fingers to muss up her hair, making it far messier than it had been before.

She didn't want any trace of the woman's kindness to remain. She was about to kneel down and cover her kimono with dirt when she realized that her body was shaking. She wasn't just crying – sobs were racking her entire body, making it hard to breathe. Little Kagome ended up sitting on the ground near Goshinboku, hugging her knees to her chest and weeping.

Coming to Kagome Higurashi's era was supposed to be a way of solving all of her problems. She was supposed to bring Kagome to her father to make him happy again! Kagome was supposed to make everything better – she would love her father and love her, little Kagome, as a mother. She would take care of Kaede and tell Koga off and… and…

Little Kagome raised her tear-stained face, gritting her teeth together to hold back more tears. Patches of her kimono were damp, saturated with salty tears. Her hair floated around her in the breeze, tangling itself even further.

Kagome hadn't solved anything. She'd only complicated everything. Her father had probably already found out that she had used the well. He would either forbid her to use it ever again or try to use it himself. That wasn't all – the girl was sure that Sango would want to try to use the well herself, to reach her old friend. If they failed – or even if they succeeded, and met this aloof Kagome – they would be upset and angry, and they would take it out on her.

Or even worse, they wouldn't take it out on her, and she would wish they had.

The girl sniffled and wiped at her running nose, tilting her head back to stare at the waving branches of Goshinboku. Something about the tree made her feel so peaceful, as if it was a kind, elderly person who was listening to her silent rants with endless patience. Suddenly, the girl felt drained, as if her anger had sapped her of all energy. Closing her eyes, little Kagome breathed out as she curled herself into a ball and rested her head on the ground, falling asleep.

* * *

Kagome moved with a restless energy that lent extra speed to her limbs as she finished her packing in record time. She would be heading back to university the next day, and for once, her packing was actually done twenty-four hours earlier. She gazed at the suitcases lined side by side, feeling a warm sense of satisfaction bubble in her stomach.

The feeling soured when she remembered how little Kagome had stormed out of her room. Evidently, she'd stormed out of the house as well, seeing as Kagome hadn't been able to find her. She must have returned to the well, the woman thought to herself as she exited her room. She must have gone back to her own time.

The thought evoked mixed feelings inside Kagome. She really had enjoyed the girl's company – it had been so long since she'd talked to a child. They had a different way of looking at the world, and it made her wonder where all of her childish wisdom had gone. Little Kagome had been a sweet enough child, curious and eager, just like the millions of other children across the globe.

For some reason, though, Kagome felt relieved that the girl had left. The last tie to the Sengoku Jidai had been severed, and she was now free to return to her normal life. If little Kagome had insisted on staying, Kagome would have always been distracted, thinking of her when she shouldn't have been. Now, at least the world had settled back into its old order.

Finished with packing, Kagome decided to take a walk through the shrine grounds. Just to confirm if the girl had left, she told herself, although part of her knew that she was going to see the well once more.

As she approached Goshinboku, she noted with surprise that there was a small, brightly colored bundle lying some distance away from the foot of the tree. As she drew closer, she recognized little Kagome.

The girl's hair was loose again, and had been tangled. It pooled around her in the dirt, looking sad and unkempt. Kagome crouched down next to the sleeping body and gently brushed away a tendril of knotted hair.

Little Kagome's eyes were screwed shut, and her mouth was turned down at the edges. Her cheeks were flushed, and her knuckles raw – she had obviously been up to something, like maybe beating a brick wall. Kagome chuckled faintly at her own poor joke and patted the girl's cheek softly.

"I'm sorry," she spoke quietly. "But we both have different lives to live." Hesitating for a moment, the woman leaned down and pressed a quick kiss on the girl's forehead. Kagome readjusted her weight on the balls of her feet and stood up, staring down at little Kagome with a longing expression.

The choice had already been made. She couldn't – _wouldn't_ return. She had left part of her heart in the Sengoku Jidai twelve years ago, and she wasn't in a hurry to get it back.

Kagome passed Goshinboku as she approached the well house, opening the door slowly. She gazed into the darkness of the structure, knowing exactly what lay down the flight of steps in front of her.

She didn't have to see it again. She knew it was still there. Yet something compelled her to walk down the stairs and stand in front of the well once more.

She ran her hand over the rough wood, closing her eyes. Such memories it brought back…

* * *

Inuyasha sat with his back resting on the wooden structure, his golden eyes half-lidded as he stared ahead of him. Two days – she'd been gone two whole days, and he hadn't been able to access the well even once. Inuyasha felt frustrated as worry welled in his belly again, and he was tempted to unsheathe Tetsusaiga and tear the well apart.

The momentary urge faded quickly. He couldn't do that. As much as he was loath to admit it, he cared for his daughter. How could he not? She was part of him, after all. He was anxious for her, and he would have given anything to be able to jump down the well to bring her back home.

The sunlight made his silver hair shine and made his skin uncomfortably warm beneath his red kimono. Inuyasha exhaled slowly, leaning back to rest his head against the lip of the well. He hated waiting.

"Kagome… come back. I miss you."

* * *

_I miss you._

Kagome stared at the well as if it had spoken to her – which, really, it seemed it had. For a moment, she could have sworn that the well had spoken to her in Inuyasha's voice.

She withdrew the hand that had been resting on the well, letting it swing by her side. She continued to gaze at the well with wide eyes, wondering if it had really been a figment of her imagination.

Did Inuyasha really miss her? Even after twelve years… did he still think of her? Did he regret the choice he had made?

Would _she_ regret the choice she had made?

* * *

**AN: I think some of my sentences have an awkward structure in the middle, though… eh.**

**Do you hate me for making Kagome choose to stay in her own era? Please don't! I promise you, she'll make her way back to the feudal era soon enough.  
**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

_Evergreen_

**AN: After twelve chapters, Shippo finally makes another appearance! Yay!**

**This is also a bit of a filler chapter, which is why I shall post the fourteenth chapter tomorrow.  
**

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha and **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_** do not belong to me. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"Sango-o-o-o!"

The demon slayer had been polishing her Hiraikotsu when the call had split the air. Moments later, she heard a soft rushing sound and felt arms being wrapped around her head. Sango coughed as the kitsune's tail tickled her nose and reached up to pry the fox demon off her head.

"Shippo… don't scare me like that," she scolded him half-heartedly. He hadn't really scared her – she was used to listening for demons, and Shippo had never been all that stealthy – and despite her rough words, she was genuinely pleased to see him. He didn't visit nearly often enough.

Shippo had the grace to look embarrassed as he brushed off his clothes. The boy hadn't changed much in twelve years – he had grown a couple of inches, and his tail had elongated ever so slightly, but he was otherwise unchanged. Shippo beamed up at the demon slayer, flashing pearly white fangs.

"Sorry! I was just excited." The fox demon looked around curiously, sniffing at the air. "You had _another_ baby since I was last here?" His voice was full of disbelief. "How do you take care of them all?"

Sango bit back a laugh. "Shippo, you were last here two years ago," she pointed out, letting her Hiraikotsu rest against her shoulder as she dropped the polishing rag onto her knees. The kitsune frowned.

"Really? Two years ago? I could've sworn I was here more recently than that…" He scratched his head, wrinkling his nose in confusion.

"Forget about that." Sango shifted, allowing the Hiraikotsu to fall gently to the ground. "How have your exams been going? Did you advance any more levels?"

Shippo looked excited as he thrust a sheet of paper in her face, almost like a modern-day child displaying a good report card to his parent. "Yeah! I went up one level – it's harder to be promoted now," he explained, frowning again. Sango pretended she knew what the writing on the paper meant and handed it back, patting the kitsune's head fondly.

"I'm sure it just takes more effort and time to advance when you're higher up," she reassured him. Shippo grinned, pocketing the paper and nodding.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too." He took a seat next to Sango, patting the bone weapon almost affectionately. "How's everyone?"

"We're all fine," Sango responded, reaching for the Hiraikotsu once more. She picked up the polishing rag and ran it over the surface of the weapon, making sure that her strokes were firm and smooth. "Miroku's always busy – he has so many of us to provide for, so he's often away." A tinge of sadness crept into her tone, but Sango quickly brushed it away.

"Inuyasha's the same as always. Kaede's getting old… she's come to stay with us. Rin came with her, too, so the hut is pretty crowded." She ruffled Shippo's hair affectionately. "Sometimes I find myself thanking the heavens that you and Kohaku don't live with us… how would we fit you?" she teased. Shippo made a face and ducked away from Sango's hand.

"How _is_ Kohaku? Is he still going around with Kirara, slaying demons?"

"I think so. I haven't heard from him for a while." Sango tilted her head to one side, the tip of her tongue sticking out as she concentrated on wiping traces of demon blood from the edges of the Hiraikotsu.

"It feels weird." Shippo stretched his legs backwards and arranged his body into a lying posture. "Not to know how everyone's doing… it never feels like much time has passed at the inn, but when I decide to come visit, years have already slipped away." The normally cheerful kitsune's face was somber as he stared straight ahead, his green eyes half-closed.

"That's understandable," Sango spoke, critically re-checking her work. "You're occupied with your studies. It's a good thing." Finally content with her polishing, she placed the weapon in her lap and dropped the rag on top of it, deciding to stay outside with Shippo for a few more minutes.

"I'm way ahead of all the others," Shippo boasted, propping his head up with his hands and glancing up at the demon slayer. "They're always asking me why I'm so good." A mischievous spark lit in his eyes. "I tell them it's because I know what annoys most humans! After all, I travelled with three of you! So I know exactly what irritates most of the people who visit the inn." The kitsune looked unbearably proud of himself, and Sango had to fight hard to choke back her laughter.

"I'm sure," she spluttered, covering her mouth with one hand. No matter how old Shippo grew, he would always behave like a child. Even now, he seemed blissfully unaware of her suppressed laughter and proceeded to describe each of his pranks in full detail.

Finally, Sango was forced to stop him when the sun began to sink towards the horizon. Shippo looked put out – after all, he'd been in the middle of describing a prank he'd played on a hapless young couple, a prank that he really thought was his best idea yet – but as Sango got to her feet and walked towards the hut, he followed her. The demon slayer pushed aside the bamboo door mat and let the Hiraikotsu lean against the wall next to the door. Most of her children were already waiting impatiently for their evening meal, and Sango had to smile when they all noticed Shippo and pounced on the merry fox demon.

Shippo rolled around with the children, laughing loudly. He was smaller than her oldest daughters – they were twins – but he was still bigger than her toddler son, although not by much. Sango often wondered what it was that made Shippo grow so slowly.

"Calm down," she ordered all of them, moving to the corner of the room where she stored the bowls and pots. Sango stacked up enough bowls for the children and Shippo, letting them lie in a pile as she started up the fire. Her children paid her no heed and continued to wrestle with Shippo, who was beginning to look quite overwhelmed.

As Sango began to boil water for the stew, she cast a glance at the happy pile of children and smiled to herself. She was glad the fox demon was back.

* * *

Kagome shut her eyes and pried herself away from the well. The voice she'd heard still drifted around in her head, and it frightened her that a simple memory of his voice could send her over the edge.

Did he really have so much power over her? Kagome had come to respect herself as a person over the last twelve years. With every step she took forward in life, she forgot one more insult he had yelled at her, forgot one more instance when he had compared her to Kikyo, and forgot one more time he had hurt her. But here she was, fluttering around the well that had connected her to him and wondering if she should jump through it. Why? To be in his arms again? Kagome pressed her lips together, running her hand over her forehead.

It was easy to allow herself to be consumed with dislike for him. Too easy, in fact. Inuyasha had not been a bad person – she had loved him, for goodness' sake! Still… she couldn't allow herself to be swayed from her decision. She knew she couldn't possibly return to the Sengoku Jidai. Her memories of the place were sweet, and she had no desire to taint them.

Her fingers pressed small circles into the smooth surface of her forehead. Kagome ground her teeth together as she pulled herself away from the ancient structure and headed up the stairs. With each step, she felt as if she was trying to break free of an iron chain, one that bound her to the well.

She faltered. The chain was too strong – it wasn't allowing her to move any farther. One foot rested on the third step from the bottom as she attempted to pull, to break the chain once and for all.

Why? she asked silently, halting her struggles and turning around to gaze at the well. Why are you holding me back? I need to move on. I can't linger here.

Slowly, as if in a dream, she walked down the three steps and back towards the well. Kagome lowered the hand that had been at her forehead and pressed her fingertips against the grainy wood. Her face twisted in indecision.

There was something she needed to let go of. She needed to release all ties to the old well – only then would she be able to move on. The woman placed her other hand on the lip of the well, her fingertips trying to create an imprint in the ancient wood.

_I miss you._

Her breath caught, but they were not new words – merely the memory of the words she'd heard minutes ago. Kagome leaned down, peering into the gloomy depths of the well.

_I miss you._

She knew what she had to do. The woman closed her eyes and inhaled. She could almost imagine that she was breathing in the air of a different era, another world.

"I love you," she whispered into the well, her eyes beginning to sting. "I never stopped… I never stopped, even though I wanted to. I wanted to stop so badly, because it's better, _easier_, to not love you than to love you and never be able to have you."

She felt unbearably weak as she spoke the words, destined never to reach the ears of the man they were meant for. Still, they seemed to have done the trick – Kagome tore herself away from the well and wheeled around, heading up the stairs. Tears blurred her vision as she pushed the well house door open and let it slam shut behind her. The telltale wetness in her eyes made her angry, and she brushed them away, vowing that she would never cry for him again.

* * *

The girl stirred, blinking dazedly as she felt sunlight on her skin. Little Kagome sat up and rubbed at her eyes with one hand, using the other to support her upper body. She was lying on one side, her cheek propped up by her left hand while her other hand slowly dropped to the ground.

Why was she lying on the ground? The girl worried her lower lip with her teeth, rearranging her body so that she was sitting up. The surroundings were unfamiliar, but she recognized them – the Higurashi shrine grounds.

Was she still in the future? Hadn't she returned to her own time?

Her kimono was dirty again. Little Kagome felt a breeze pull at her tangled locks and raised one hand to them, wincing as she tried to finger comb her hair. She had fallen asleep under the Goshinboku, hadn't she? She tilted her head upwards, reassured to see the familiar scarred trunk.

Her lips felt dry and cracked. She ran her tongue over them, pulling a face at the dusty taste. Little Kagome pulled all of her hair over one shoulder and placed her palms behind her body, using her arms to support the weight of her upper body. She felt her spine curve and relax.

She remembered now. She had intended to go back to the feudal era, but she had stopped by the sacred tree and had eventually fallen asleep under it. At least the mystery was solved, the girl reflected, her slight smile fading as she remembered the tears she had shed under the quiet protection of the ancient tree.

Nothing had turned out right. The very act that she had thought would be easy – convincing Kagome to return to the Sengoku Jidai – had posed too great a challenge. Little Kagome simply couldn't understand the woman's reluctance. The world around her seemed too small, too cluttered and noisy to be a true home. She longed for the open skies and quiet forests of her own time.

Twelve years. Kagome had been away from the feudal era for twelve years. She had been gone too long – the world probably wouldn't even accept her back, little Kagome thought rebelliously. She was too strange, too unused to the wild life of the warring states' era. The girl sighed quietly and got to her feet, rubbing her upper lip with one hand.

It was time to go home.

She saw Kagome stalking towards her and flinched. Would the woman pause to berate her for her words? Luckily for the girl, Kagome passed by her without a second glance, her distracted gaze fixed on her house. Little Kagome turned around to watch the woman's retreating back. On impulse, she stuck out her tongue at Kagome's disappearing figure, feeling strangely liberated after performing the childish act. The girl grinned to herself and scratched absently at her elbow.

Kagome wouldn't come back with her. The girl felt guilty for not completing her mother's final wish, but she told herself there was nothing else she could do. Her namesake had made up her mind – now, all she could do was return home and hope that the well would seal itself once more. She briefly wondered why her father hadn't come to fetch her. Hadn't Sango said that Inuyasha, too, had been able to use the well? Or perhaps he didn't care enough about her to notice that she was missing. A pang of sadness made her stomach clench.

Little Kagome shook away the thought and took a deep breath. It didn't matter. She had the rest of her life to try to thaw out her father's cold demeanor. Letting her hands swing by her side, she moved a few steps forward.

Something made her turn around, and she gazed stonily at the large, spacious Higurashi house. She had liked her short stay in the house – despite Kagome's irrational decision, it was a warm place, and the beds had been soft. Little Kagome stared at the structure, and wondered why tears were rising in her eyes.

She wasn't supposed to be leaving alone.

"What am I supposed to do?" she whispered, stepping closer to the Goshinboku. "You tell me. How can I go home without her? Yet how can I not?" She placed her hands on the trunk, feeling the countless grooves in the wood under her skin. "Tell me what to do."

She heard a faint rustling sound behind her and whirled around, eyes widening in shock. For a moment, she thought Kagome had returned – the woman in front of her bore a striking resemblance to her. Yet there was something different about her – a more elegant tilt to the eyes, a deep sadness in their depths. The woman was clothed in the traditional garb of a shrine maiden, and her locks were tied back like Kagome's. Two strands of dark hair fell past her shoulders and looped up once more to be tied back.

Little Kagome pressed her back against the Goshinboku, her hands creeping to her face.

"What should you do?" The woman's voice was low and sad. "You should bring her home."

* * *

**AN: Ooh, I'm looking forward to the next chapter... can you guess who the woman is? I'm sure you can! She'll play a slightly bigger role in this story now. Unfortunately(for me), she won't hang around for long - she will probably be in the next chapter and perhaps a bit of the fifteenth, and then she will disappear. ): I know, I doubt any of you are sad about that...**

**I can say for sure that Kagome will jump into the well by the end of the fifteenth chapter. Perhaps even the middle of the fifteenth chapter. I think this story will be twenty-odd chapters long, maybe even only seventeen or eighteen. Depends - do you want it longer? If so, you'll have to wait one extra chapter for Inuyasha and Kagome's _romantic_ reunion(their first reunion won't be romantic in any way!), but I might add a few extra chapters of fluff. It's totally your call!  
**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

_Evergreen_

**AN: I like this chapter. (: A lot of you guessed who the woman was quite easily - I expected as much! I didn't really make it very subtle, did I? Anyway, here you guys go - chapter fourteen! Thanks for all the encouraging reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**. These stories belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

**

* * *

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"Bring her home?" Little Kagome stared at the woman in front of her, her heart beating rapidly. Every instinct in her body screamed at her to run far away from this strange person who had just appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Yet something compelled her to stay – perhaps it was the woman's face, so similar to her own, or perhaps it was the intense sadness that lingered in her gaze. In any case, the girl didn't flee, but she continued to stare at the woman with a fearful look.

"Yes." The woman inclined her head, not moving from her spot to approach the girl. "You must take her home, Kagome. You know this." Her voice was sweet and sorrowful. "Yet you doubt your abilities. This is natural. You are but a child."

Little Kagome felt angry tears spring to her eyes. "Why should I do anything for her?" she blurted out, crossing her arms across his chest and glaring at the strange woman. "I don't need her! She can just stay here for all I care! She doesn't _belong_ in my time!"

The woman laughed, a lilting sound with a stark undercurrent of grief. "That is where you are wrong, my dear. Kagome belongs to the Sengoku Jidai, heart, body and soul."

"But… she was born here!" Confusion made the girl's head whirl, and she took a step closer to the woman. "How could she belong to my time? She doesn't even want to come back!"

The woman regarded her with a kind, understanding gaze. "How many times," she asked gently, "have you run away from home and vowed never to return?"

Little Kagome flinched at the words. How did this woman know about the countless times she'd run away from Kaede's hut and promised herself she wouldn't go back? How could she know about those fear-filled nights the girl had spent, shivering under a bush, until she decided she'd had enough and returned?

The woman seemed to need no answer, and pressed on. "Kagome is behaving in the same way. She loves the feudal era dearly because of all the memories and friends it holds. The only problem is that she last left it with bitterness and betrayal in her heart. The man she loved had chosen another, and she couldn't bear to stay with them."

Little Kagome stared at the woman, chewing furiously at her lower lip. Who _was_ this woman? How did she know so much about Kagome and herself? She finally ventured to ask.

"That is not of your concern right now," the woman replied quietly. "Promise me, Kagome. Promise me that you will take her back."

She didn't need to ask who 'her' meant.

"I don't want to," the girl replied sullenly. "Why should I ask her again? I gave her a chance, didn't I? She shouldn't get another one."

"My dear Kagome." The woman shook her head, clasping her hands in front of her. "Life _always_ offers second chances. So why can't you?"

"I'm not going to go and beg!" the girl snapped angrily, her arms tightening around her middle. "What do you want me to say? 'I know you already said no, but I'm back to _plead_ you to return with me because a strange woman told me to'?"

She glimpsed pain flash across the woman's face and felt something twist in her gut. Somehow, she didn't like to see the woman sad.

"So that is how you see me," the woman spoke. "It is not surprising. I expected nothing else." The woman unclasped her hands and allowed them to fall back to her sides. "I do not expect you to beg, Kagome. You are proud – far too proud, just like your father. And your mother." Her sharp blue-gray gaze softened. "Neither of them would ever back down from an argument, and neither of them would ever apologize to the other, so stubborn they were. So prideful." She raised one finger to touch the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes.

"Don't talk like that about my parents!" little Kagome retorted, stepping forward again. Her previous feeling of guilt had vanished, and had been replaced by white-hot anger. "You have no business to talk like that, as if you know me and my family! Who are you, anyway? What are you doing here? You don't look like someone of this world!"

"So you presume you know everything of this world, just because you have spent a mere two days here?"

Little Kagome flushed. "People here don't dress like that," she argued, gesturing to the woman's garb. The woman smiled, a thin frosty smile.

"Perhaps they do, and perhaps they don't. But you are right about one thing. I am not of this world."

"Then who are you? Where do you come from?"

The woman looked directly into her eyes, and little Kagome felt a shiver course down her spine. She didn't like the way the woman was looking at her, so wistfully and longingly. She'd guessed a while back who the woman was, but she wanted her theory to be confirmed by the woman herself.

"I am Kikyo."

Little Kagome exhaled loudly, letting her arms drop from her middle. "I knew it."

Amusement seemed to flicker across Kikyo's face. "Did you, now."

"You look… you look so much like her. There wasn't anyone else it could be."

"So even though you guessed I was your mother, you still spoke to me so rudely."

Little Kagome flushed and looked down at her dirty feet. Kikyo's voice was reprimanding, but a moment later, she heard a short laugh and looked up in amazement. The dead priestess was chuckling.

"You are so headstrong. Truly, you are your father's daughter. Although, I must admit I had my stubborn moments as well." The smile on Kikyo's face was much warmer, and little Kagome felt overwhelmed by the pure tenderness in her eyes.

_Is this what it's like to have a mother?_

"How are you here?" she asked softly, moving closer. She reached out one hand, wanting to touch her mother's skin, wanting to feel heat and reassure herself that this wasn't an apparition.

Just then, a breeze swept through the shrine grounds and rustled the branches of the Goshinboku. Kikyo's body wavered dangerously, like a reflection in water when ripples are created. Little Kagome withdrew her extended hand with alacrity, her other hand rising to cover her mouth.

Of course. Kikyo was dead. How had she let herself forget that?

"Your father buried my ashes under the roots of the Goshinboku." Kikyo's voice was faint as her body continued to tremble. "Over the years, I have felt my consciousness meld with the tree's. I usually sleep, but today, when I heard your plea…" Kikyo's image stopped shaking and her voice became stronger. "I had to do something. It seems that some of my spiritual powers are still within me."

"So you're _inside_ the Goshinboku?" Little Kagome felt a stir of pity. Her poor mother, to be unable to pass over to the next life…

"I do not mind. This tree holds many memories for me, some sweet, and some painful. I do not mind. It is better than hell, in any case."

Little Kagome clenched her teeth at the mention of hell, her mind flitting back to their previous conversation.

"So tell me – why do you want me to take Kagome back to our time?" she challenged.

Kikyo pressed her lips together so that they formed a thin line. "Such impudence." The warmth had disappeared from her voice, and her manner was businesslike as she continued. "The truth is, I was never supposed to come back, Kagome. The dead should remain dead – although Kagome meant well when she wished on the jewel, and although I enjoyed the life the Shikon no Tama gifted to me, it was a pale imitation of my real life. I should have died fifty years earlier, and I should have stayed dead."

"Don't say that." Despite Kikyo's cold, detached voice, little Kagome could not help but feel protective of her mother. "If you hadn't come back, I would have never been born."

"Ah, to be young and so full of hope." Kikyo's smile was thin. "It is true, if I had not come back to life, I would not have been your mother. Still, who knows? Perhaps Kagome would have been your mother instead."

Little Kagome opened her mouth to say something, but another breeze swept through the grounds, this one far stronger than the previous gust. It tore into Kikyo's airy body, and her voice rapidly dwindled to a whisper as her body disintegrated.

"… take her home… promise…"

Her voice faded. Little Kagome stared at the spot where her mother had stood, feeling tears rise to her eyes. She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye.

"Mama."

_Bring her home._

"I will, I promise," she whispered.

* * *

"Souta!"

The young man looked up from his textbooks, a frown of confusion creasing his forehead as he spotted little Kagome enter the dining room. Her kimono was filthy, and her long black hair was tangled – yet she had a steely, determined look on her face. He wondered what she was looking so focused about, and why she was calling his name.

"I'm right here," he replied, pushing aside one of his books. "What's up? You looking for my sister?"

Little Kagome nodded. "Yeah. Is she here?"

Souta shrugged. "Sorry. Think she left a while back. She said she'd take a cab to the airport."

The girl's face seemed to collapse, and Souta frowned again as he saw her shoulders slump forward. "What's wrong?" he asked her gently, patting the chair next to him. "Is there something you wanted to tell Kagome?"

The girl made her way over to the chair and attempted to hoist herself into it. Souta steadied her and helped her seat herself, eying her worriedly. The girl didn't look very happy – in fact, she looked positively defeated. What had she wanted to tell his sister so badly?

"Are you sure she's gone?" Her voice was very small. Souta nodded.

"Yeah. I heard her leave some time ago." He studied her face and expression closely. "Tell me what's wrong, maybe I can help."

Little Kagome sniffled. "You know about that old well?" There was no point beating around the bush – surely Kagome's family had known about her adventures in the feudal era.

Souta felt panic flash across his face, and he struggled to keep his emotions hidden. "What well?" He attempted to keep his tone light, but it sounded strained. Little Kagome looked up and made an impatient sound.

"The bone eater's well, near the Goshinboku. You know, the one Kagome used to use to transport herself five hundred years into the past?"

How, Souta wondered, did the girl manage to talk about something like that so offhandedly? Unless…

"Are you from the other side of the well?" It was the only possible way such a young girl would know about the well.

"Yeah." Little Kagome tried to draw her knees to her chest and fell off the chair. Her shoulder connected with the hard floor and she winced, rolling over onto her back and sitting up. Souta looked alarmed and got off his chair to kneel beside her.

"Are you serious? You're from the feudal era?"

"Yeah." Little Kagome massaged her throbbing shoulder and turned her gaze onto Kagome's younger brother, her eyes pleading. "Now that you know that, I need you to do me a really big favour."

"Whoa, whoa." Souta held up his hands, gesturing for her to be quiet. "How did you get here? Didn't the well stop working when big sister came back twelve years ago?"

"How should I know? The point is, it let me through, and I'm pretty sure it'll work for me again if I want to go back through it. I need to take Kagome back with me. Can you help me?"

Souta looked overwhelmed. "Take her back?" he questioned weakly, sitting back to rest his back against one of the chair legs. "Take her back to the feudal era, you mean? Why?"

Little Kagome exhaled impatiently. There really wasn't enough time to tell the entire story. She quickly filled Souta in on her parentage, and ignored his disbelieving looks as she plowed on. "So can you help me? Just call Kagome and make up some excuse for her to come back! She can't have left already, could she have?"

Souta looked troubled, and he rubbed his stubbly chin thoughtfully. "No, she won't have left… but my sister turns her cell phone off whenever she enters the airport. So we can't reach her through that…" He turned his eyes onto the little girl, frowning. "You're Inuyasha and Kikyo's daughter? Why do you need to take Kagome back with you, then? Isn't Inuyasha happy with Kikyo?" His voice was bitter – he'd always harbored the hope that Inuyasha would end up marrying his sister when he was little. He'd always thought of the hanyou as a brother, and he had been crushed when his sister had returned for the last time, alone.

Had the man listened to _nothing_ she'd just said? "She's dead," little Kagome spoke flatly, and felt something tug at her gut. It felt almost sacrilegious to speak so casually about her mother's death, but she couldn't afford to break down now, not when she needed to convince Souta. The girl resolutely pushed back her tears and interlaced her fingers, placing them in her lap and gazing at the man solemnly.

"Oh." Souta seemed to be silently debating something. "Listen… have you already talked to Kagome about this?"

Hesitantly, little Kagome nodded.

"What did she say?" Souta pressed, leaning forward.

Little Kagome fidgeted with the hem of her kimono. "She said no," she muttered resentfully. Souta leaned back once more, shaking his head.

"If she said no… why are you trying to change her mind?"

"Because she doesn't realize how much she misses my time!" the girl exploded, glaring at the young man angrily. "She _needs_ to come back with me, okay? Everyone there needs her! They all miss her so much, and she doesn't care about that, she just cares about her stupid world and whatever stupid stuff she's doing here, she doesn't care about my papa or auntie Sango or uncle Miroku or auntie Kaede, who might be dying…"

Dying. Little Kagome's hands flew to her mouth. She had completely forgotten about her old aunt. Panic clouded her mind – what if Kaede had already passed on? What if she'd missed her only chance to say goodbye?

Souta could see that the girl was panicking, and it did nothing to soothe his own frayed nerves. "All I'm saying," he tried to lower his voice, make it more gentle, "is that my sister doesn't take decisions lightly. She must've put a lot of thought into what she said. Maybe it's best if you just give this up and go home."

Little Kagome pressed her lips together. Maybe Souta was right. Maybe she should be hurrying home to say goodbye to Kaede.

Yet the memory of her mother's sad eyes tugged at her, and she shook her head slowly.

"I promised," she murmured, placing her chin on her knees. "I can't go back on that promise."

Souta sighed and rubbed his temple tiredly. "You sure about this? My sister can get pretty angry when she's tricked," he warned.

Little Kagome bit her lip. "I think I'll be able to handle – hey, wait, does that mean you'll help me?" Her eyes lit up, and she glanced hopefully at the young man. Souta smiled weakly, wondering what life would be like without his older sister.

"Yeah."

* * *

**AN: I really wanted to write some Kikyo/little Kagome interaction, so there you have it! I know this seems like a filler chapter, but it's important, because little Kagome has decided to devote all of her energy to getting Kagome back to her own time. She isn't necessarily happy about it, but she'll try because her mother asked her to.**

**Ah, mother/daughter love…**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

_Evergreen_

**AN: Problem. I won't be able to update for the next two weeks.**

**-ducks flying projectiles-**

**I'm sorry! But I won't have computer access for the fourth to the seventeenth of May. ): I'm really sorry, guys. I'm posting this chapter now, and I'll post the sixteenth on Saturday.**

**I think you guys will be happy to know that I've written the eighteen chapter. Why would you be happy? Well... you'll just have to wait for that chapter, won't you? ;)  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or _Kuch Kuch Hota Hai_. These two stories are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

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* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Little Kagome danced around the young man, her arms in the air. "Thank you so much!"

"It's not a problem," Souta muttered, wondering if he was doing the right thing. He scratched the back of his head and headed out of the dining room, returning minutes later with a cordless phone clutched in his hands. The girl blinked and eyed the contraption warily.

"So how are we going to get her back?" she questioned Souta eagerly, scrambling back onto the chair she had been sitting on. "You could make up something! Maybe like, your mom's sick or something. That would get her back, right?"

"Relax, we have plenty of time to think of that." Souta took a seat and placed the phone on the table, his forehead furrowing. "The flight will take a long time, and we'll only be able to call her once she gets over there."

Little Kagome looked crestfallen.

"Or…" Souta's eyes gleamed as he found himself getting more and more involved in the plot. "Or maybe we could leave a message on her phone over there! Yeah, that might just work!" He nodded to himself and picked up the phone, oblivious of the girl's puzzled eyes.

"Leave her a message?" The modern world was truly confusing, little Kagome decided. How could you possibly leave someone a message without traveling to his or her house?

"It's… complicated. Basically, her home phone has a built-in answering machine, and we can just call it and leave a message. She'll get home and listen to the message, and she'll come back." Souta was about to start dialing his sister's overseas number when he paused.

"We need to come up with something to make sure she comes back," he told the girl, a small part of him squirming at his own words. Souta was a truthful person – he didn't like lying, but he figured he could push aside his morals this once. It was to help his sister, after all.

"Like I said – say your mom's sick! That'll bring her back for sure, right?"

Souta hesitated. Yes, news of their mother being ill would certainly draw Kagome back home. Yet it seemed like too great a price to pay – besides, wouldn't Kagome realize that their mother had looked fine when she left? There wasn't enough time for her to 'develop' an illness.

"I don't know…" Souta spoke thoughtfully. "Maybe we should come up with something else."

Little Kagome frowned and crossed her arms, looking put out. "I don't see anything wrong with that," she argued. "Just call her and tell her your mom's sick! I'll bet she'll come back straight away. And then we can figure out some way to get her into the well house and down the well." The girl filled her cheeks with air as a sudden thought occurred to her. "Hey, I wonder if she'll even be able to get through the well… d'you think I should try to push her down and hold onto her or something…?"

Souta's gaze was blank. Little Kagome looked annoyed as she glared at the young man.

"Are you listening to me?" she demanded in exasperation. "Call her and do it!"

Usually placid Souta had to fight down the urge to snap at the little girl. She obviously didn't realize how much pain this entire episode was causing him – he was conspiring to send his own sister, his own mother's daughter, away from him. From the family. He sincerely doubted that the well would work again once Kagome was on the other side – things couldn't possibly be that convenient. No, for some mysterious reason, whatever made the time-travelling well work wanted his sister on the other side, in the Sengoku Jidai.

The thought pained him. It made him feel like maybe, his family had gone wrong somewhere. That they had done something that had made them unworthy of Kagome's presence.

Stop it, he told himself, shaking his head angrily. Such pathetic, self-pitying thoughts would do nothing more than weaken him. He needed to be strong now, like he'd had to be so many years ago when he went to collect Kagome's class notes from her friends. He needed to be responsible.

"… don't like it?" Little Kagome was staring at him with an upset expression on her face, and Souta realized that she might have taken his head shake as a sign of disapproval. He shook his head again, holding his hands in front of him.

"It's not like that!" he spoke hastily, trying to offer the girl a reassuring smile. "The idea's fine. I'll do it right now." He could say that their mother had fallen down some stairs. That would probably work. Souta nodded to himself as he punched in his sister's overseas number, praying that his mother would forgive him for making such an expensive call.

He pressed the receiver to his ear and heard the monotonous ringing as little Kagome giggled softly next to him. The girl was dancing around the room, evidently very proud of herself. Souta placed one hand on the receiver and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Ssh," he commanded her in a whisper. "This is a really expensive call, and it won't sound very plausible if she can hear you giggling in the background." Little Kagome looked properly abashed and fell silent at once. Souta removed his hand and heard his sister's cheerful voice as the answering machine picked up.

"Hey there! Have a message for me, Kagome? Sorry, but I'm not at home right now – let me know what it is after the beep! Bye!" Souta squeezed his eyes together as he heard the small beep follow his sister's blithe words.

"K-kagome…" His voice shook, and he tried to compose his words before realizing that it sounded more authentic. "Kagome, I… it's urgent…"

* * *

… _mom. Mom's hurt. I'm sorry for calling you like this… but it's bad._

Kagome sat on her mattress, frozen. Her fingers were digging into the soft surface of the bed, her knuckles turning white with the force she was exerting. She didn't move, not even after Souta's voice had faded and the robotic pre-recorded voice kicked in, informing her that she had no more new messages. She forgot to breathe as she stared ahead blankly, her mind roiling.

Her mother. Hurt. What time had Souta sent the message? She tried to do the math in her head. When had this happened? The same day she'd left? The same hour? She bit down on her lower lip, releasing her death grip on the mattress and covering her face with her hands.

Had it been because of her? If she hadn't left in such a hurry, could she have prevented her mother's accident? Kagome felt warm tears leak out of her eyes and drip into her cupped hands.

Mrs. Higurashi was not as young as she had once been. If she had injured herself as badly as Souta had said… at her age… Kagome didn't need to know medicine to guess that the injury would be much more serious for her mother than for, say, Souta. She pressed her lips together as she unearthed her laptop from under her bed, hooking it up to a modem and turning it on.

Her mind was racing as she turned the laptop on and accessed the Internet. Almost as if she was on autopilot, she scrolled through various prices of airplane tickets, selected the one that would have her in Japan as soon as possible, and filled in her credit card details. Her anguish had disappeared, only to be replaced by a strange, cold numbness. She didn't care that her classes were starting the next day. She didn't care that she would probably miss insane amounts of studies and tests. She didn't care that she would have to work overtime at her part-time job to make up the extra classes she'd have to take. She didn't care.

_Congratulations, you have just purchased a one-way ticket to Japan._

_

* * *

_The airplane ride passed in a blur, and Kagome couldn't for the life of her even remember if anyone had been sitting next to her. However, the time it took for her to reach home was in start contrast with her flight – the minutes dragged by as she sat in a taxi she'd managed to flag down. She pressed her knees together to prevent her legs from moving up and down in impatience. The driver seemed to be stopping at every traffic light, regardless of the color displayed, and she was growing increasingly agitated. Had Souta taken their mother to a hospital? Had he at least called a doctor to their home? How had she gotten hurt in the first place? He hadn't specified in the message. Would she need any particular medicine? Would the pharmacy even be open at such a late hour?

"Excuse me." The driver's tone was frostily polite. "Would you mind not muttering like that? It's very distracting."

Figures I'd have to get the snippy, overly careful driver, Kagome thought bitterly. She crossed her arms across her chest and deliberately drew two fingers across her lips as if zipping them closed. The driver turned back to the road, but he had missed the green light.

Kagome groaned.

She interlaced her fingers so that she wouldn't begin to drum them against her knee and stared straight ahead, praying that the driver would move faster. Somehow, he seemed to have heard her silent plea – he certainly sped up after that, although she suspected it was because he wanted her out of his car.

Finally, after what seemed like decades, she saw the familiar bulk of the old Higurashi shrine rise on the horizon. Kagome exhaled loudly, prompting an irate glance from the driver.

"Here you are," he announced as he pulled up next to the curb. Kagome all but flung the money at him, too harried to collect any change from him. She heard a faint thank you as she exited the car and slammed the door behind her.

The flight of steps that led up to the shrine was usually daunting – but she flew up them, her legs pumping and her hair flying loose of its ponytail. She hadn't brought much with her – just a small suitcase of essentials like toiletries and such. There hadn't been enough time to pack properly, and she was glad for the small weight – it allowed her to be swifter. With every breath she exhaled, her heart beat even faster.

Was her mother all right?

Kagome wheezed loudly as she staggered up the last few steps of the shrine, her brief burst of adrenaline well and truly spent. She dropped her small bag to the ground and clutched her middle with both hands, bending over even as she fixed her gaze on her house.

The lights were off. Not a single light was on in the Higurashi household. Kagome straightened her spine and walked forward hesitantly, truly puzzled. If their mother was injured, wouldn't Souta or _someone_ be up with her? Unless she'd fallen asleep? Or maybe Souta had taken her to the hospital. She shook her head and pressed her fingertips to her temples, massaging the skin gently.

"Souta?" she called as she approached the house. For one foolish moment, she actually thought he would respond. She raised one hand to knock on the door when a soft hiss sounded out behind her.

"Kagome!" The woman whirled around, eyes wide as she caught sight of her brother. Souta's face was veiled by the darkness – it was very early in the morning, after all – so she couldn't tell what expression he had on. He sounded exhausted. "I'm so glad you came."

"Of course I came!" she snapped, her fear making her brusquer than usual. Souta moved forward, and she flung herself into his arms.

"Is mama okay?" she whispered, ending the embrace as Souta showed no sign of returning her hug. "Is she really hurt? What happened, anyway? You sounded terrible on the phone…"

"There isn't much time to explain. She… she fell down some steps." Kagome heard her brother's voice quiver. "She hit her head, and she hasn't woken up since."

Souta felt unbearably low as he stood there, reciting the lines he'd practiced with little Kagome not two hours ago. He'd gone to hide her in the well house, and when he had returned, he'd seen his sister on the doorstep. Sudden panic had seized him – did he really want to let go of her? Did he really want to give her up?

"Hasn't woken up since…" Kagome's words jerked him out of his stupor. "Oh my God. Is she at a hospital?"

Souta shook his head, and Kagome felt anxiety flare up in her stomach. "Why didn't you take her? This could be really serious, Souta! Mama isn't as young as she once was, and who knows what side-effects she could have…?"

Souta rubbed one hand across his face. "I called a doctor in. But he said we shouldn't move her – something about a fragile balance or whatever. I didn't understand half of what he was saying." The lies were flowing off his tongue with ease, and it worried him how adeptly he was manipulating his sister. "I'll take you to her. Maybe you can help her." He reached out and grasped Kagome's wrist, making sure that his hold on her arm was secure. Once she realized where he was taking her, she might guess what he was trying to do and struggle.

"O-of course… where is she, Souta?" Kagome had to increase the length of her strides to keep pace with Souta, who seemed to be driven by nervous energy. "I'll try to do all I can to help her, although I don't see what sort of a condition could be critical enough to prevent a hospital visit…" Her breaths came out in pants, and she suddenly noticed how tightly her brother was holding her wrist and how sweaty his hands were.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" she asked him gently, wondering if the doctor had said something to him. Souta shook his head.

"Hurry." His pace increased, and Kagome had to practically run to keep up with him. She heard leaves rustling in the wind and realized they must be near the Goshinboku. And beyond the sacred tree was…

"Souta, stop." She yanked on the arm he held captive, slowing her pace and attempting to hold him back. "Why are you taking me here?"

Souta didn't pause. "She fell down the well house steps, sis," he spoke quietly. "She's lying at the very bottom."

Kagome felt a terrible indecision grip her. On one hand, the well house held so many painful memories – and she didn't want to add another to it. Still, her mother needed her. She wondered why her mother had gone to the well house in the first place.

"Why was she there?"

Souta didn't reply. He pulled open the well house door and made sure that Kagome entered the building before him. The woman grasped the railing and made her way down the steps, unable to see anything in front of her. Her eyes strained to make out a shape at the bottom of the stairs.

"Where is she, Souta?" Kagome placed her foot down gingerly, stepping off the last stair and looking around. Something in her head screamed of danger.

"Souta?" She was about to turn to look at her brother when she felt a small hand clasp her fingers. Kagome flinched as she felt hands at her back, pushing her forward. Souta's hands.

"No…" Kagome felt herself fall forward. She knew exactly what was in front of her, and she knew without a doubt that her brother had fooled her.

"Souta, why…?" She was pitched headfirst into the well, those small hands still grasping her fingers. As the familiar light sparkled around her, Kagome screwed her eyes shut.

* * *

Souta stood on the last step of the well house, staring impassively at the well. The blue light around it had faded, and he was left with only darkness. Both the Kagomes were gone.

He was a man. He couldn't cry. Yet Souta felt self-loathing and loss rise up inside him, and he couldn't think of any other way to release the tumultuous feelings he carried inside him. He closed his eyes and tilted her face backwards, to face the ceiling of the well house.

"I'm sorry, Kagome."

At least there was no one there to see him cry.

* * *

"You!" Kagome glared at the girl who was clutching the fingers of her left hand, her blue-gray eyes spitting fire. Little Kagome glared back, unafraid.

"Yes, me. You decided you didn't want to return to the feudal era, so I had to do it for you. None of this would have happened if you had just been agreeable and come with me the first time I'd asked." The girl sounded so annoyed that Kagome had to fight back a smile.

"Did you ever think that there was a _reason_ I didn't want to go back?" she retorted, trying to jerk her fingers out of the girl's grip. Little Kagome, however, held fast to her hand.

"You're afraid."

Kagome stopped pulling at her hand and stared at the girl in dumb shock. Afraid? What nonsense! She wasn't afraid of returning to the Sengoku Jidai.

Was she?

No. She didn't want to return because she had so much else to do in her own world. She didn't want to return because if she couldn't come back, what would her family do without her?

"I'm not afraid."

Little Kagome shrugged. "Okay. You're not afraid. It doesn't matter, anyway."

They both hit the ground with a thud. Kagome groaned as her rear end connected with the floor of the well. Little Kagome released her fingers and stood up, dusting off her dirty kimono.

"I don't want to be here!" Kagome refused to stand up, as if standing would somehow confirm the fact that she was back in the feudal era. "I want to go back!" She was suddenly aware of how petulant she sounded.

"Tough luck! We're here, and unless you want to wallow away at the bottom of this well, you'll come up with me." Little Kagome tugged expertly at one of the vines that decorated the side of the well, and the tone of her voice told Kagome she was happy to be home.

She really didn't have any other choice – she could always try to use the well to return home later. "All right." Kagome stood up and dusted off her jeans with an air of resignation. Little Kagome was already halfway up the wall when she turned around to call to the woman.

"Hurry up!"

Kagome muttered something under her breath and made her way over to the creepers. She pulled it tentatively, wondering if it would still hold her weight. The woman placed one foot in a small indent in the wall and pulled herself up with the help of the vines.

She didn't fall. Kagome smiled to herself, immensely proud of her feat. She continued up the wall of the well, noticing how thick the creepers had grown. No wonder they were still able to support her weight.

Kagome grasped the lip of the well with her hands and grunted as she tried to pull herself over. Unfortunately, she hadn't been exercising her arms much, and she wasn't able to hoist herself up. Instead, her hands clutched the edge of the well and her feet dangled in midair. Kagome had to resist the urge to scream shrilly.

"Here, I'll help." She felt small hands on her own as little Kagome valiantly tried to pull her over the lip of the well. Kagome felt a sudden rush of gratitude towards the girl, even if she was rude and brusque and far too conniving for her own good.

With another grunt, Kagome managed to get her upper body out of the well. She wriggled around as she slowly pulled her legs out, sighing in relief once she had both feet on firm ground. At least she'd been wearing jeans, so her legs weren't scratched.

"Home sweet home," little Kagome pronounced, and Kagome couldn't help but agree with her.

She heard a sudden rustling from the trees in front of her, and she spotted a red and silver blur as a painfully familiar figure came to a stop in front of her.

Inuyasha's golden eyes were wide with disbelief, and his eyes were fixed on Kagome. The woman felt her cheeks heat up under his incredulous gaze, even as a faint smile spread across her face at the sight of him. His eyes flitted to his daughter, and then back to Kagome. The hanyou clenched his fingers into fists, and Kagome eyed him worriedly, the smile starting to fade.

Finally, he spoke. "What the hell are you doing here?"

* * *

**AN: Uh oh. This is the part of the story where Inuyasha is an idiot. Smooth of him, isn't it? On a happier note, this is my longest chapter ever! Yay!**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

_Evergreen_

**AN: I have good news! It turns out I'm not going to leave this story dangling for two weeks, after all! Yay!**

**Better news – I'm getting tired of updating only on certain days. I'll be updating almost every day now, because I've finished writing the penultimate chapter(excluding the epilogue) and I can tell you guys there will be MAJOR InuKag fluff in the last three chapters! Celebrate! x)**

**This chapter is a bit of a sad one, though. Not sad enough to bring out your tissues or anything – I'm not THAT good a writer! – but it's still kind of sad.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Kagome felt the smile on her face freeze. She stared at the hanyou in front of her in disbelief, his words ringing in her head.

_What the hell are you doing here?_

"I…" Oh, how she hated her quivering voice! "I didn't expect you to say that." Had she been a fool to think he would greet her with open arms? But hadn't his daughter said something about him needing her? Well, he certainly didn't look like he needed her. He looked like he wanted to push her down the well again.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, felt like upping and dying right there. How could he have said something so stupid? And to Kagome, of all people! Silly, sentimental, easily upset Kagome. His face screwed up in mingled confusion and anger as his hands flew to the beads around his neck out of instinct. He swore out loud at the action, hurriedly dropping his hands again. Brilliant. Now she'd 'osuwari' him into the next century.

But Kagome didn't look like she was going to do anything of the sort. She was just staring at him, her eyes wide and startled. She looked so irritatingly childish that he wanted to grasp her by the shoulders and shake her. He would have done it, too, if he hadn't just said something exceedingly stupid.

And if he hadn't loved her. There was that, too.

Inuyasha clenched his hands into fists, his claws digging into the soft skin of his palms. Should he apologize? No, showing weakness in front of her – not to mention his daughter, who was fidgeting uncontrollably – was unacceptable. He had to be strong.

"You stayed in your own time." Inuyasha's voice was more scathing than he'd have liked it to be, and he winced at his own words. Kagome looked blank.

"So?"

"So?" he echoed, stepping forward to glare down at her. "So, _why_? I want to know, Kagome! Why the hell did you leave?"

He glowered at her, and suddenly it felt like nothing had changed, like they were just arguing about Kagome returning to her era as always.

He heard a tiny cough – so small that Kagome's human ears probably hadn't caught it. His silver-furred ears twitched, and he cast an exasperated glance at his daughter. She'd worried him sick for the past few days, and what had she finally brought back from the modern era? The very woman she'd been named after. Inuyasha wondered if she'd gotten the idea from Kikyo's letters. He'd have to take a look at them later…

"Because this isn't my time!" Kagome had evidently found her voice, and how. Her blue-gray eyes smoldered angrily as she reached out with her hands and shoved him in the chest. Taken by surprise, Inuyasha staggered a few steps backwards.

"I don't belong here! I wanted to spend the rest of my life in my own time, where I belong. Excuse me for wanting to lead a normal life! I didn't exactly see you jumping after me, anyway – so why do you care all of a sudden?"

Her eyes were bright – too bright. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as he realized that she was holding back tears. But were they tears of anger or sadness?

"Kagome… I…" Damn it all, how could this woman make him actually consider apologizing? He'd gone from being aggressively offensive to meekly defensive. He didn't like it.

"I'm waiting." Her words were full of ire, and she crossed her arms across her chest. He realized with a start that her hair was much longer than it had been, falling past her waist in gentle waves. His heart thudded unevenly as he noticed how much she resembled Kikyo.

No. Don't go there, he instructed himself. It was obvious that his choice of Kikyo had angered and hurt Kagome beyond words. But what was he supposed to do now? Beg her for forgiveness? Not likely – he was sure she wouldn't give it even if he pleaded. He'd never really seen her so upset.

"Of course I care, wench!" The words burst out of his mouth, and he stared at her with narrowed eyes. "What the hell makes you think I don't care? Just because I don't run after you all the time doesn't mean I don't care." He crossed his arms as well to mirror her pose, and he saw Kagome start in confusion at his words.

"What…" Her mouth opened slightly as she spoke, and she looked as if she wanted to say a lot more, but she seemed to suddenly realize that little Kagome was still at her side. The woman exhaled slowly and crouched down, although the action caused her head to be slightly lower than the young girl's – little Kagome was ten years old and not quite a little child anymore. She seemed to resent Kagome's movement and frowned at her.

"Hey… Kagome…" The woman smiled faintly, and Inuyasha found it jolting to hear her refer to someone else by her own name. "Do you… do you mind if I talk to your father alone? Maybe you could go back to the village and say hi to everyone?"

Little Kagome's face softened slightly – the girl was obviously thinking of Kaede, Inuyasha mused. But a split second later, a scowl appeared on her visage.

"Stop treating me like a little kid," she snapped, whirling around and marching off. "I only brought you back here because my mama asked me to!"

Kagome continued to kneel in the grass and watched the little girl as she flounced away. Her expression was pained.

"So." Inuyasha stared at her, deciding to prompt her, else she'd probably continue to kneel in the grass until noon – the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon. "You going to tell me what the hell is going on?"

Kagome's gaze snapped to him, and her eyes were furious. "Why should I tell you anything?" she retorted loudly, pressing her palms against the ground and pushing herself up. "You were very happy here for the past twelve years, I can tell. Don't let me ruin it all for you."

The woman had a serious inferiority complex, Inuyasha decided.

"You're not ruining anything." His voice was gentler than he'd expected it to be, and he could see that Kagome was equally shocked at his tone. "I…"

"You what?" Kagome seemed to recover from her momentary bewilderment and tossed her head. "You missed me? Is that what you were going to say?"

"Of course not!" he replied sullenly, although she'd taken the words right out of his mouth. Was it such a crime to have missed her?

"Well, that's too bad," she spoke sharply. "I haven't missed you at all."

He was staggered by her words, but managed to not stumble backwards and look like an idiot. He noticed her suspiciously bright eyes again and wondered at them. Was she lying to him?

Had she really missed him?

"I made a really good life for myself in my own world." The words were spilling out of her mouth, and they blurred together as she spoke rapidly. "I was going to become a doctor! Do you know how long I've been studying? I was so close, and then you just _had_ to pull me away from all of that!"

"Now wait a second!" he barked, stepping closer with an angry look. "_I_ didn't do anything, Kagome went to your era without my permission! I specifically told her to stay away from the well!"

Kagome tensed at his daughter's name – _her_ name. "Why did you name her Kagome?" she spoke.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Kikyo wanted me to." As soon as he'd said that, he realized it was the wrong thing to say. Kagome sniffed and turned away with the air of someone who couldn't be less concerned.

"So you named your daughter after me because your _wife_ told you to." Her words were vicious, and Inuyasha tried to remember if she'd been as cutting twelve years ago. No, the Kagome he remembered had been unkind at times, but never outright cruel.

I named her that because I wanted to remember you, he wanted to shout at her. But he kept his mouth shut. She didn't need to know about that – if she had spoken the truth, if she had really not missed him at all, then she was better off not knowing.

When did I become so _considerate_? he speculated.

"I'm going back home." The words were so familiar, and spoken in the same haughty tone, that Inuyasha could not help bursting into laughter. Kagome's face turned red, and she spun around to confront him.

"You think it's _funny_?" she said angrily. "Laugh all you want, then! I'm going to go!" She moved towards the well, but Inuyasha noticed how slow her steps were. Why was she so hesitant?

He watched her silently, and Kagome was obviously frustrated that he wasn't doing anything to stop her from leaving. She swung her legs over the edge of the well very deliberately and dug her fingers into the worn wood, pausing for a moment. Her pride prevented her from delaying any further, and without a backward glance, she jumped.

Nothing happened. Inuyasha heard a dull thud from the bottom of the well and moved over, peering over the edge. Kagome groaned loudly and let out a string of words he hadn't dreamed of her knowing. She rubbed her abused backside and muttered something colorful under her breath, making the hanyou's ears twitch. What on earth had happened to his sweet, innocent Kagome? Who had turned her into such a demon?

He leaped down into the well and offered his back to her. Kagome sniffed again and ignored him. Inuyasha sighed and scratched at the back of his head, irritably cursing all stubborn women.

"Just get on. It'll be quicker than you struggling with those stupid vines," he told her gruffly. Kagome inhaled, and he thought she was going to scream at him, but she merely grunted and clambered onto his back. He felt her fingers at his shoulders and gripped the back of her legs as he'd done before, all those years ago. Inuyasha crouched ever so slightly and propelled himself out of the well.

Once outside, he immediately let go of Kagome's legs and moved away. He wasn't in the mood to fight with her again, although every muscle in his body was tense with preparation for another quarrel. To his surprise, Kagome merely flopped down on the ground and rubbed tiredly at her eyes.

"Why can't I go home?" Her voice was so small and helpless that he felt his heart ache. "I want to go home." She fixed him with her blue-gray gaze, and Inuyasha cursed himself for being so weak. Why was it that she could render him speechless and motionless with one look?

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, crouching in front of her. "I'm sorry."

Kagome drew her legs towards her chest and rested her back against the well. She buried her head in her knees, but Inuyasha could neither hear a hitch in her breath nor smell the salty tang of tears. In fact, as far as he was aware, she wasn't saying anything at all.

Her dark hair pooled around her, and he wondered why she'd let it grow out. For the year he'd known her, Kagome had insisted on cutting her hair every few months so as to keep it short. What had brought about such a change?

"Kagome?" He scraped his claws against the ground in an absent way. "Are you okay?"

"What the hell does it look like, idiot?" she snapped, her head coming up and her eyes glaring daggers at him. Even though she hadn't been crying, her eyes looked swollen. "Do I _look_ okay?"

He fought back the urge to inform her that if she could still pick a fight with him, she was totally fine in his book. Instead, he kept his mouth shut.

Kagome breathed out tiredly. "I'm sorry. It's…" She turned her head away. "It's not your fault. I'm not mad at you."

He felt a brief flare of hope in his chest, but her tone was so weary and bitter than he couldn't believe her. "You're lying," he pronounced flatly. Kagome shook her head, her gaze still averted from his.

"I'm honestly not mad at _you_, Inuyasha." She spoke his name to him for the first time in twelve years. "You made your choice. I was the one who couldn't live with it." She blinked furiously, and the hanyou groaned as he smelled her tears.

"Please don't cry," he begged her. "You don't have to cry."

Kagome sniffled and wiped at her nose. "I'm not crying," she spoke unconvincingly. Inuyasha felt a brief smirk flicker across his face. How many times had she bawled before, and how many times had she vehemently denied it each time?

"I'm really not crying," she insisted, turning to face him. "Don't you smirk at me like that!"

Inuyasha grinned. "Make me," he invited. Kagome stuck her tongue out at him, and he was immensely relieved to see a faint smile tug at the corners of her lips.

"You're such an idiot," she sighed, running her hands through her bangs and pushing them back. Inuyasha shrugged, settling himself down in the dewy grass. The sun had risen completely.

"Whatever makes you feel better." Hope flared inside him again. "Does… does this mean you're not mad anymore?"

"I told you." Now she sounded annoyed. "I'm not angry at you, but I _will_ be if you don't shut up."

Inuyasha clamped his mouth shut to prevent a smart-aleck remark from escaping. They sat together in companionable silence for the next few minutes.

"Will you stay here, Kagome?" he finally asked her after a while. Kagome tilted her head upwards, staring at the sky.

"I don't know." She got to her feet slowly, brushing bits of grass off her jeans. "I really don't know."

Inuyasha stood as well. "You could always stay at Kaede's hut with me and Ka… me and my daughter."

Kagome's eyes flashed warily. "Thanks, but no thanks." The woman absently ran her hands through her hair again and shook her head. "I'll find my own lodgings."

Inuyasha felt annoyed at having his polite offer rebuked so readily. "Fine," he replied grumpily. "Don't come running to me when everyone sees your weird clothes and runs away screaming."

Kagome made an odd noise, and Inuyasha wasn't entirely sure whether it was a laugh or a sigh. "I won't," she reassured him, beginning to walk away. The grass under her feet made a faint whispering noise as she stepped on it, a sound only he could hear.

"Kagome…" He called her name once, softly. She turned to look at him, and her gaze was full of sadness, longing, anger, and a thousand more emotions.

She slowly made her way back to him, carefully moving one step at a time. Kagome came to a stop in front of the hanyou, and he noted with surprise that she'd grown taller. The woman tilted her head backwards to gaze into his face, her eyebrows pulling together until they met over her nose.

"Inuyasha. Do you know what this is?" She lifted her right hand and showed it to him. He smelled the unique fragrance of her skin and closed his eyes, shaking his head. He opened his eyes once more to see her hand moving closer to his cheek, and he flinched, expecting a stinging slap.

To his utmost bewilderment, she didn't slap him. Instead, she cupped his cheek with her hand and moved her face closer to his. Inuyasha stood stock-still as she gently pressed her lips against his other cheek. He wasn't sure how to react.

Kagome's lips hovered near his ear, and he heard the words she spoke in a tone no louder than a murmur.

"It's goodbye."

* * *

**AN: I wish I could claim that last little scene as mine, but alas, I cannot. It's from another Bollywood movie, far more recent than **_**KKHH**_**.**

**Tell me what you think?  
**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

_Evergreen_

**AN: Ahh, I totally forgot to thank you guys for the hundred reviews! Thanks so much for believing in me and letting me know what you think about this story! It means a lot to me. (:**

**A lot of you said the last chapter was sad. I know, I'm sorry. This one isn't very cheerful, either. I think you'll like the next chapter, though…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**… they belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively… I could probably type this blindfolded now.**

**

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Goodbye.

Inuyasha stared blankly at the woman as she drew her hand away and moved backwards, her eyes veiled and emotionless. Kagome turned her head and began to walk towards the surrounding forest, her steps slow but purposeful. Inuyasha didn't make any move to stop her and continued to watch as she disappeared from his sight.

The hanyou lifted one hand to push his silver-white bangs from his eyes and shook his head slowly. Goodbye. She'd said goodbye.

If Inuyasha had still been the impetuous, argumentative hanyou from twelve years ago, he would have scoffed at her remark. How could she possibly be saying goodbye to him? They would be living in the same village – he knew Kagome wouldn't be able to find lodgings anywhere else. They would see each other almost every day. How could she possibly think that they'd never see each other again?

Unfortunately – or fortunately – Inuyasha had grown wiser through heartbreak and separation. He knew what Kagome meant. She hadn't been saying goodbye to _him_, per se – she'd been saying goodbye to the idea of _them_. The thought made him unbearably sad.

Why was she under the impression that it wouldn't work? Had his choice of Kikyo really wounded her so badly? Inuyasha frowned.

Yes. Of course his choice had pained her. He rubbed his forehead with his hand, exhaling quietly. He'd broken their bond beyond repair, and he'd never regretted anything more.

He understood her feelings, to an extent. She didn't want to take a chance with him again. Inuyasha felt himself bristle with instinctive anger, but he fought his swell of emotions down. He had no reason to be upset with her. At least she was sure about what she wanted to do. At least she wasn't dithering about it and giving him the wrong idea of what she intended to do.

Like a certain someone he knew…

Inuyasha growled in irritation and stalked off, feeling the grasses tickle his bare soles. He needed to be alone for a while.

* * *

Kagome was lost.

Twelve years from the feudal era had taken its toll on her memory, and she couldn't remember which way to turn in order to head for Kaede's village. Kagome exhaled irritably and paused next to a sturdy-looking sapling, crossing her arms and growling under her breath. The beauty of the ancient forests – an area that would be cleared to house her family's shrine in the future – was lost on her. Kagome was upset.

'Upset' was an understatement, she corrected herself. She was furious. What was there to _not_ be furious about? Inuyasha was being dense, as always. Little Kagome had shown up in her era and brought back memories she'd rather have kept under wraps. Her own brother had conspired against her to push her into the bone eater's well! Was no one on her side?

Kagome stamped one foot down childishly, taking immense pleasure in the action. She repeated it again, her foot throbbing as she smashed it against the hard-packed ground.

"This isn't fair!"

Kagome paused, startled at the words that had escaped her. They sounded so… juvenile.

Had she really not grown up at all in twelve years? Was she honestly not meant to be in the Sengoku Jidai?

Kagome sighed tiredly, gazing around at her surroundings. Nothing appeared familiar at all, and she marveled at the fact that she had once passed in and out of this forest so easily. Maybe her memory had been better then.

Kagome pressed her fingertips against her forehead and took a deep, steadying breath. Faint morning sunlight managed to filter through the canopy of leaves, and she tilted her head back to feel sunlight on her face. The woman forced a smile onto her face and set off, her arms swinging at her sides. She'd find the village if it was the last thing she ever did.

To her surprise, as soon as she let her feet wander, they seemed to steer her in a particular direction. Kagome kept her eyes on the forestry in front of her and allowed her feet to guide her. She walked in a daze, occasionally waking from her trance by a low-hanging branch or a dip in the ground. Otherwise, she was blissfully unaware of the world.

The woman blinked as she was abruptly pulled out of her daze. The forest had grown thinner and thinner around her, until the trees had finally made way for open stretches of land. Huts dotted the landscape, and she could see various people bustling around the village, absorbed in their work.

Tears pricked her eyes, and she squeezed her eyelids closed. The familiarity of the sight made her want to wail. She wanted to go home – and yet, at the same time, she wanted to remain in the feudal era. She'd missed it so much.

Kagome made her way towards the village, ignoring the bemused looks that people shot her. She'd grown used to them a long time ago. She cast her gaze around hopefully, wondering if she would be able to catch the eye of a familiar person who would be able to direct her to Sango and Miroku's home.

Everyone steered clear of her, and she could pick up distressed mutterings from a few women. Kagome bit down on her lower lip and stared resolutely ahead, deciding to head for Kaede's hut. Maybe the old priestess would be glad to see her. The woman brushed back a curl of hair and sighed loudly, wishing she had some sort of hair tie.

She hadn't forgotten the way to the priestess's hut, thank goodness. Kagome smiled in satisfaction as she approached the structure, resisting the urge to clap her hands together gleefully.

"Kaede! Are you there?"

No answer.

Kagome frowned. Maybe the priestess did not recognize her voice – or maybe she'd offended her by not speaking respectfully to her. Kagome cleared her throat and walked closer.

"Lady Kaede?" Still no answer. The woman finally stuck her head into the hut, narrowing her eyes as she gazed around the small room.

The hut was empty.

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head as she took a step backwards. She wasn't at home, then. Perhaps she had been called away to perform her priestess duties in the village. Kagome tilted her head to one side, weighing her options. Should she wait for Kaede to return? Or should she try to ask some of the villagers about Sango and Miroku?

"Kagome."

The woman turned, startled to hear her name. Her eyes landed on a young woman who appeared to be in her late teens. Dark, glossy hair was tied back in a braid, and wide brown eyes studied her intently. The girl – she was still a girl, after all – had a basket balanced against one of her hips. Her cheeks were flushed, and her mouth was half-open.

"How do you know my name?" The girl didn't look familiar at all. Kagome frowned at her, moving closer. "Do I know you?"

The girl beamed, dropping the basket and reaching forward to hug Kagome. The woman was taken aback by the girl's overly affectionate action, and she stood stiffly as the girl hugged her tightly.

"It _is_ you," the girl breathed, allowing her arms to drop to her sides as she released Kagome. "I can't believe it! I wasn't sure, though. I was wondering what you would say if you _weren't_ Kagome…" The girl continued to chatter, and Kagome stared at her blankly.

"Do I know you?" she repeated, moving a foot away from the girl. The girl paused in mid-sentence, staring at the woman in shock.

"Y-you don't… of course!" she cried, shaking her head. The smile returned to her face. "Of course you wouldn't recognize me, what was I thinking… I'm Rin! Remember me?"

"Rin?" The human girl who had traveled with Sesshomaru, so many years ago? Kagome vaguely remembered meeting the girl a few times, but they hadn't said more than a few words to each other – nothing to warrant such a warm welcome. Rin nodded happily, obviously encouraged by the look of recognition dawning on Kagome's face.

"Yeah! I know we weren't great friends or anything, but lady Kaede used to talk a lot about you, and so did lady Sango and lord Miroku… I feel like I know you really well." Rin smiled warmly. "I'm sorry if I startled you. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"It's a long story," Kagome sighed, rubbing her forehead with her fingers. "Listen, Rin, do you know where… what am I saying, of course you know. Can you take me to Sango and Miroku's place?"

Rin tilted her head to one side, a little puzzled by Kagome's use of words, but she managed to get the general gist of what the woman was trying to say. "Their home, you mean? Of course. Lady Kaede has been moved there… I stay there, too, I was just coming back to gather some of lady Kaede's herbs." Rin pointed out a distant shape – a solitary hut, stationed quite a distance from the heart of the village. "That's where they live. If you want me to take you there, you'll have to wait for a bit, although the way is fairly straightforward."

"No, that's okay. I think I can make it myself." Kagome offered the young woman a smile, relieved that she had run into a slightly familiar face. "Thanks, Rin."

"No problem!" the girl grinned, bending down to pick up the basket. She moved past Kagome and headed towards Kaede's hut.

Kagome set off in the direction of the hut Rin had pointed out, her head full of questions. So Rin had settled down with Kaede, in the village… why? Had it been with Sesshomaru's permission? And why had Kaede been shifted from her own home?

She needed to catch up on twelve years' worth of information and gossip.

Kagome made it to Sango and Miroku's hut some time later, her cheeks red and her breathing uneven. The woman gulped in air as she clutched her sides, muttering something about no stamina. She loitered outside the hut as she tried to catch her breath, unwilling to let her friends see her in such a disheveled state.

Finally, when her breathing was more even, Kagome crept closer to the hut. She would surprise them – she giggled at the thought. Wouldn't they all be pleased! Kagome held her breath as she neared the door and gently pulled the bamboo doormat aside.

She released her held breath in one _whoosh_. The sight in front of her was alien, unfamiliar. Sango was crouched next to a bed mat where a small girl lay. The demon slayer was smoothing the girl's hair back, and the expression on her face was so tender that Kagome felt as if she was intruding on a private moment. Miroku sat beside his wife, his arms encircling her waist and his chin on her shoulder. Shippo was there, too – he was sitting by a bed mat that was set up against the farthest wall of the hut. Kagome flinched as she recognized the wrinkled face of the old priestess Kaede.

Two children were wrestling playfully with each other, while another watched. Three more children were still sleeping, and one toddler was half-asleep in a corner. Kagome caught her breath as Shippo looked up, but it was only to tell the wrestling siblings to be quiet.

Tears rose to her eyes again. There was no place for her in this hut. There was no longer any place for her in Sango and Miroku's lives. She felt a wave of self-pity envelop her. How would she ever manage to fit into their cozy family lifestyle?

Kagome allowed the bamboo mat to drop as she backed away, swiping furiously at her telltale tears. She felt a hand on her shoulder and whirled around, exhaling sharply as she saw Rin.

"What's wrong?" the girl asked gently. "Didn't you go in?"

Kagome shook her head.

"What happened?" Rin pressed, adjusting her grip on the basket at her hip. Kagome sighed and shook her head again.

"It's nothing."

* * *

"Weren't you supposed to have gone back home?"

Inuyasha glared at the small girl in front of him, and she glared right back. Little Kagome folded her arms across her chest and looked mutinous.

"Didn't want to. I'm not going to listen to what _she_ says."

Obviously, his daughter wasn't overly fond of Kagome. Inuyasha wondered why.

"That's besides the point. You could have gotten lost or hurt! Can't you _think_ once in a while?" he snapped angrily. Little Kagome flinched at her father's upset tone.

"I can take care of myself!"

"Like hell." Inuyasha sniffed and stuck his hands into the long sleeves of his robe. "Get back to the village now. I don't have time to be looking out for you. I have to think."

Little Kagome fought down a surge of rage as she bowed her head meekly. "Yes, papa," she murmured, turning to leave.

"Wait." The girl paused, turning back to her father with a questioning look. The hanyou looked pensive, and he was shifting from one foot to the other as if nervous. Or fidgety.

"You don't like Kagome, do you." It was a statement, not a question. Little Kagome drew her eyebrows together – were her feelings really that obvious?

"It's not like that…" Her voice was reluctant. "It's not that I don't _like_ her. It's just…"

"Just…?" Inuyasha pressed.

"She's not like us." Little Kagome stared down at her bare feet, digging her toes into the loamy soil. "She's so different. I don't know why mama wanted me to bring her back."

"You mean… Kikyo told you to bring Kagome back to this era?" Inuyasha looked stunned. "In her letters, you mean?"

"Just the last one," she muttered, biting her lower lip. "She wanted me to try to go through the well and bring Kagome home. That was what she said."

"Bring her home…" Kikyo had _wanted_ Kagome to return to the Sengoku Jidai? The thought was strange. Inuyasha slipped his hands out of his sleeves and allowed them to swing at his sides as he mulled over the information.

"For you." Little Kagome's gaze was direct as she stared at her father. "She wanted me to bring her home for you." Inuyasha's head snapped up, and he stared at his daughter in disbelief. Had he heard her correctly?

"Kikyo said that?"

"Wrote it. Yeah." Maybe she shouldn't have told him that… Little Kagome fretted over the information she'd just released. Had it been the wrong thing to say? Maybe she should have kept her mother's last wish a secret. What would her father think of her playing matchmaker? She didn't even _want_ to play matchmaker.

"I don't think… I don't think Kagome wants to be with me." Inuyasha's voice was very quiet, and he directed his gaze towards a nearby tree, avoiding his daughter's eyes. "So it doesn't matter what Kikyo wanted, does it?"

"What?" Now it was his daughter's turn to look disbelieving. Little Kagome shook her head, eyes wide. "No way! When… when I was there, and when she said your name… papa, I can't believe that she doesn't love you."

Such mature words… as if the girl knew anything about love, Inuyasha thought bitterly. The hanyou scratched his nose with one finger, exhaling slowly.

"Kagome is upset at me. I can't figure out how to make her forgive me."

"Is it because of mama?"

Well, didn't he have an astute child? Inuyasha didn't reply, but the way his muscles tensed at little Kagome's words was enough to convince her.

"It is, isn't it?"

"Women are so sensitive," Inuyasha muttered. Little Kagome shrugged, not offended by his words – after all, she wasn't a woman yet. "It… I… if only she'd try to understand…"

"What do _you_ think I should do?" He whirled on his daughter, eyes smoldering. "What do you think I should do? Ask for her forgiveness? Explain everything to her? What?"

The girl stepped backwards, startled by her father's raw emotions. He'd obviously forgotten that he was speaking to a young girl.

"I-I don't know." Her voice trembled. "I don't know, papa."

Inuyasha sighed and clenched his fingers into a fist. He took a deep breath and sniffed, nodding to himself as he picked up Kagome's scent from the village.

"All right, squirt. You're coming with me." Before his daughter could protest, Inuyasha had lifted her by the back of her kimono and had tossed her onto his back. Little Kagome squeaked as he broke into a run, and she clutched his robe tightly as the trees flashed by. The girl shut her eyes and muttered a prayer under her breath.

In what seemed like seconds later, Inuyasha had arrived outside Sango and Miroku's hut. Little Kagome's fingers were still buried in the fabric of his robe, and he made no move to dislodge her from his back. The hanyou stalked towards the hut, inhaling deeply. Kagome's scent was still fresh.

He stuck his head into the hut, but she wasn't there. He growled under his breath and pulled his head away, unaware of the fact that a certain young woman had noticed him.

"Damn it all… where is that wench?" The hanyou sniffed again, swinging his head back and forth. "Her smell's here, all right… but…" He paused as he faced the north, and worry flitted across his features. Kagome's scent led away from the village, to the north.

"Kagome? Are you looking for Kagome?" Rin emerged from the hut and came to stand a few paces behind the hanyou. Inuyasha knew what she was going to say, but his ears still flattened as the young girl continued.

"She's gone."

* * *

**AN: Ahh, I don't like this chapter. ): It's weird. And pointless. A bit filler-ish, yeah. I will have the next chapter up soon!  
**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

_Evergreen_

**AN: You know how I said chapter fifteen was the longest chapter? It****'s not. This is.**

**The beginning is boring **–** I****'m sorry about that. The ending is probably kind of weak.**

**But man, do I love this chapter. Hope you guys do, too!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.**

**I've got to think of more creative ways to frame this…**

**

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The path was well worn by countless feet having trodden on it throughout the years. Firm, and without many cracks, it wound its way through green fields and past villages. It stretched on endlessly, and she guessed that it would only terminate in the hazy mountains that she saw in the distance. Dust formed a thin layer on top of the ground, and puffs of it were released when she placed each foot down. The dust tickled her nose and made her sneeze, and she was fairly sure that her eyes were already red and sore.

Kagome was lost. Again.

She'd been far too upset by the lack of a perfect picture frame for her to step into to care about where she was heading. She'd chosen the first path her feet had landed on and taken off, not caring about where it led. She just wanted to run.

Of course, after a few minutes, her running had slowed down to a jog, and after _another_ few minutes, her jog slowed to a walk. Now she was limping, her feet aching and her heart pounding. It had been hours since she'd left the village, and she still felt completely rotten.

Why on earth had she let herself be tricked like that? Souta had never been a good liar – why hadn't she picked up the subtle signs from him that usually told her he was fibbing? Why hadn't she noticed how he had been sweating, or how nervous he had looked?

Because it was dark, and you couldn't see him, and you thought he was just worried about our mother, an inner voice spoke out in protest. There's no point in blaming yourself. What's done is done.

_No!_ She couldn't just give up. She wasn't going to stay in the Sengoku Jidai, not when it was painfully obvious that her friends had moved on and that there was no longer any place for her.

A small part of her knew she was being childish. Of course they had moved on – she couldn't have expected them to stay in suspended animation for twelve years! Of course they had made a life for themselves – hadn't she? That didn't mean they wouldn't accept her back. They loved her, and she loved them – they would find some way of making everything work out.

She stifled her voice of logic, coming to a halt and folding her arms petulantly. She didn't _want_ to work things out. She had wanted everything to go back to the way it had been.

_When Miroku still had his wind tunnel? When Sango was still torn apart about Kohaku? When Naraku was still alive, and everyone was constantly in danger? You _want_ that life again?_

I don't want anyone to suffer, she thought, shaking her head. But I don't want them to change, either.

Kagome groaned and hit her forehead with the heel of her hand. "I really haven't grown up at all," she muttered, fanning her face with her other hand. "Sometimes I'm still as naïve as I was when I first came here."

The sun beamed down on her head mercilessly, and Kagome soon found herself sweating. Her shirt clung to her damp skin, and her jeans felt as if they were slowly cutting off all circulation in her legs. Her sneakers pinched her toes, and her long, loose hair stuck to the back of her neck. Kagome exhaled slowly and tried to pull the strands of hair away from her sweaty neck, but to no avail. Her vision began to swim.

"Too… hot…" There was no helpful tree cover to be seen. She could make out the faint outlines of people toiling in the fields, but they paid no attention to her. Kagome breathed heavily, her cheeks growing flushed and her steps slowing.

"Darn… it… all," she ground out, pausing to rest her hands on her knees. She bent in half as she attempted to regain her breath, panting and wheezing unattractively. She wondered wryly what the hard-working villagers thought of her – a strange woman in odd clothing, winded by merely walking.

Her thoughts began to wander dangerously, even as she began to move forward once more. At first, she thought about her life in the modern world, and about her university and her classmates. She tried to focus her concentration on the different formulas she had been learning in class, but her mind soon moved on to other things. Her mother, her brother, her grandfather, even her old cat Buyo… all of them seemed to be drifting in front of her, their expressions kind. Kagome stretched out one hand, wanting to touch them.

"No, no," they laughed, and danced away. "You can't touch us."

Kagome wasn't sure when she stopped, but she was jerked out of her heat-induced trance when her knees collided with the ground. Her chest was heaving as she stared around blankly, unable to recognize anything around her. Her vision blurred again, and she pressed one dusty hand to her forehead as her tongue ran across her dry, cracked lips.

"Am I going to die?" she spoke aloud, her voice sounding frighteningly casual. "Alone, in the middle of nowhere? In a time that isn't even my own?"

She let her forehead come to rest on the ground. The gritty feeling of dirt against her skin was oddly soothing.

"No… you can't just die from the heat…" She struggled to group her thoughts into some semblance of rationality. "You… ahh…" Her hair trailed in the dirt, and she was vaguely aware of her body slumping forward to meet the inviting earth.

"Or… or can you… can't remember," she mumbled, tasting dirt on her tongue. She spat the grit out half-heartedly, and felt a trail of coldness run down one cheek. With a start, she realized that she was crying.

"Why…" Kagome couldn't even piece together a full sentence anymore. She allowed her body to press itself against the flat path, allowed her eyes to flutter closed even as more tears leaked past her eyelids.

"Am I going to die?" she rasped again, her nose pressed against the dust. "Just… just like that…"

Her words triggered a fresh flow of tears. Kagome clenched her jaw, trying to hold back the sobs. "I don't want to die!" she wailed, gagging as she tasted dirt in her mouth once more. "I don't want to die, dammit!"

"You're not going to die, you stupid wench."

Kagome fell silent. She felt someone grasp her by the shoulder and roll her over to face the sky. The sunlight burned on her eyelids, and she flinched, moving her hands to cover the upper half of her face. Kagome let out a pitiful moan and coughed as someone – presumably the same someone as before – helped her sit up. Once the sunlight was no longer shining directly on her face, she gathered the courage to open her eyes. The corners of her eyes were still encrusted with dirt, but as she blinked rapidly, she found that her vision was clear.

"What…" She turned to face the person who had spoken before, who had helped her up, and was strangely unsurprised to be met with a pair of blazing golden eyes.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?!" the hanyou exploded, pointing an accusing clawed finger at her. "Ambling off like that! You got yourself completely lost, and you had to decide to go off _alone, _so that no one would be there to save your sorry ass! What on _earth_ were you trying to do, Kagome?"

She winced and clapped her hands over her ears. She'd forgotten how loudly he could yell when he was angry.

"I…" Words failed her, and she shook her head slowly. "I…"

"You what? Say something, you stupid girl!"

"Stop _yelling_!" she spat, trying to rub some sand off her tongue with the help of her lips. "What do you want me to say? I'm sorry? I'm _not_. I'm not sorry, so just shut up and let me be!"

"I thought you didn't want to die." His words were spoken in a cold, cruel tone, and she turned her face away from his, angry and ashamed.

"I didn't. I don't."

"Then explain to me what you were doing so far away from the godforsaken village! Pray enlighten me. I'm sure it was all a well thought-out plan, am I right?"

His sarcasm hurt. Kagome lowered her eyes and refused to face him.

"N-no… I just wanted to get away… I was so angry…"

"Dear God! Angry! Why the hell were you angry?"

"It's none of your business!" she lashed out, whirling around to face him. The sudden action caused her head to throb painfully, and she paled. Inuyasha swore under his breath as he watched her sway, and he quickly moved to grip her shoulders.

"Spare me the dramatics, wench. Just tell me what you were doing out here."

Despite his curt words, his voice was unusually gentle. Kagome stared at him defiantly, unaware of how laughable her expression looked with her swollen eyes.

"Just leave me alone."

The hanyou exhaled irritably. "Listen, I'm not in the mood for this right now. You can either tell me straight up what was bothering you, or we can go through this entire 'leave me alone' charade which will only succeed in pissing both of us off." His voice had lost all softness, and Kagome found herself glad that he had adopted his regular brusque tone with her.

"I don't want to tell you."

"Stop being so goddamn childish!" he growled, jerking her shoulders. Kagome's head snapped backwards in shock, and Inuyasha immediately released his hold on her. "Listen, I don't care what your problem is – I'm taking you back to the village right now. You can sort out your issues once we're back there, all right?" Without waiting for a reply, he picked her up and unceremoniously threw her over one shoulder. Kagome was far too stunned to speak. Her previous burst of anger-induced adrenaline had faded, and she found herself feeling completely sapped. She allowed her head to sag down as Inuyasha took off at a fast pace. The woman closed her eyes and rested her chin on the hanyou's back, a small smile crossing her face as the wind caused her hair to stream behind him.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong _now_?" he finally spoke after an awkward silence of a few minutes. Kagome sighed heavily.

"It's stupid."

"No doubt about that," he groused, his bare feet thudding on the ground to create a steady rhythm. "You're always storming off on account of stupid things."

"Shut up," she berated him half-heartedly, groaning as her chin slammed against his back and made her head swim. Inuyasha growled lowly.

"I can't believe you decided to wander off by yourself like that," he grumbled. "I'm surprised you're not dead already. It's damn hot this summer."

"I'm good at surviving," she told him cheekily, and she felt his shoulder vibrate slightly as he laughed softly.

"Damn right you are. Now shut up until we reach the village."

"You were the one who started this conversation in the first place," she complained. Inuyasha ignored her words and picked up speed until it felt like she was flying upside down. The ground whizzed below her, and she felt herself growing dizzy at the sight. Kagome shut her eyes and hoped she'd fall asleep.

* * *

"Oi, wench. Wake up."

"Inuyasha! Let her sleep! The sun must have affected her badly. Stop _shaking_ her, you fool hanyou!"

Kagome's eyes snapped open as she felt herself being roughly shaken by the shoulder. She was met by two pairs of eyes – one angry and golden, one brown and patient.

"I _told_ you," a feminine voice spoke irritably. "I told you to let her sleep! You're so _impatient_, Inuyasha!"

"Stuff it," a masculine voice retorted rudely. "Kagome, you silly wench, don't do that again!"

Although his voice sounded more angry than worried, Kagome couldn't help but smile. She sat up slowly, and felt a pair of hands at her back, helping her up. She turned to thank their owner and was met by those brown eyes again.

"Kagome."

Sango.

Kagome felt full of emotion as she stared at the woman in front of her. Countless pregnancies had taken their toll on Sango – the demon slayer was not as slim as she had once been. There were dark shadows under her eyes, and her face was more creased than Kagome remembered. Still, her eyes were so familiar and loving that the woman felt herself break down.

"Oh, Sango!" She threw herself at her old friend and wrapped her arms around her. Sango patted her back gently as Kagome wept on her shoulder. How had she thought she wouldn't belong? What had possessed her to think that there wouldn't be a place for her in Sango and Miroku's life? Why had she been so stupid?

"I've been so _selfish_," Kagome spoke miserably as she drew away from her friend. Sango's gaze was kind and understanding.

"Ssh, Kagome. It's all right. You don't need to say anything."

"But I do! Oh, I came here earlier – and I peeked in, and I saw you and Miroku and Shippo… you all looked so _happy_. So content. I thought… I thought…"

Sango said nothing. She continued to look at her friend with a knowing gaze.

"I thought you wouldn't have any place left for me," Kagome concluded sadly. "I thought you'd moved on, so I wouldn't be able to fit in your life anymore."

"Oh, Kagome." Sango's voice was so tender – something about its quality reminded her of her own mother's voice. "We would _always_ find room for you in our lives. You should know that."

The woman nodded and sniffled, wiping at her watering eyes. She felt foolish for harboring such childish fears.

It was only when she heard someone clearing his throat behind her that she remembered there was someone else in the hut.

Kagome's cheeks flushed crimson as she turned slowly to face the hanyou. Inuyasha was looking at her expectantly.

"Oh… um…"

Inuyasha cleared his throat again, in a 'I'm waiting' way.

"T-thanks for saving me, Inuyasha." She kept her gaze averted from his, and stared resolutely at his collarbone. She noted with surprise that the beads of subjugation were still fastened around his neck.

"It was nothing." He shrugged his shoulders and turned away. "Think she'll be okay, Sango? No lasting brain damage? No more than usual, at least." Kagome could practically _hear_ the smirk in his voice. Her temper flared.

"Why you…"

"Easy there!" Sango bit back a laugh as she restrained her friend. "Lie back down, Kagome. I'll go fetch something for your fever." The demon slayer got to her feet, shot Inuyasha a warning look and walked out of the hut.

Kagome allowed her head to fall back against the sleeping mat and stared at the ceiling. "Where are we?" she asked quietly. She heard the hanyou grunt.

"Kaede's hut."

Confusion made Kagome's head throb. "But… but why… oh!" She recalled her previous conversation with Rin. "She's… at Sango and Miroku's… why…?"

"She's dying."

Well, that was a typical Inuyasha answer for you. Kagome felt her entire body stiffen in horror.

"D-dying…?"

"Yep. Old hag doesn't have much longer to live." Inuyasha still had his back turned to Kagome, but he tensed when he heard her begin to sob. The hanyou groaned as he turned around.

"Don't cry, you stupid girl. Everyone has to die eventually."

"Dying! She'd _dying_! I can't… I can't…" Kagome's body shook as she wept. Inuyasha let out a soft growl of frustration and moved towards her side.

"Kaede's had a long, fruitful life. She wasn't going to hold out much longer, anyway. It's cruel to want her to stay longer."

Kagome wasn't being able to process his words. She could vaguely hear him saying something, but the words themselves were lost on her. She covered her face with her hands, sucking in deep breaths as she cried.

"Kagome… Kagome, don't cry." Inuyasha found himself growing worried. Maybe he should have broken the news to her in a gentler way…? The woman shook her head and wiped at her cheeks, slowly lowering her hands.

"I'm not c-crying."

"Yeah? You were doing a pretty good imitation, then." A small smile twitched across Kagome's face, and Inuyasha felt himself grin. Kagome sighed quietly and looked up at him.

"How much longer…?"

"A couple of days. Maybe less." The hanyou shrugged and reached out with one hand. He moved some sweaty hair away from her face in an almost careless movement. Kagome felt herself blush at the brief contact.

"I… I want to say goodbye…"

"You'll get your chance to, don't worry." Inuyasha sat back on his heels and watched her carefully. "Right now, you should probably recover your strength. Wouldn't want you going and collapsing on us."

Kagome let out a weak laugh.

"Kagome…" It was now or never. Inuyasha leaned forward until his face was directly above hers, and his golden eyes were staring into hers. "Kagome, I don't want to say goodbye."

"What?" Kagome looked puzzled. She tried to shift her gaze away from his, but there was always something hypnotic about Inuyasha's fantastically hued eyes. "Goodbye? I'm not going to die just yet…"

"Not like that." Inuyasha made an impatient noise from the back of his throat. "I mean… back by the well… you said this was goodbye. I don't want it to be goodbye."

Understanding dawned on Kagome's face, and she blinked. Inuyasha's eyes were boring into hers, and she had to blink again in order to turn her face away. "Inuyasha…"

"No." He spoke forcefully and turned her face towards him again. Kagome didn't resist as he continued to speak. "You can't do that. You can't just walk away from me, Kagome."

Anger flared briefly in her eyes. "Why not? You walked away from _me_, twelve years ago!"

Inuyasha flinched as if he had been struck, but he didn't release his hold on her face. "I know. I'm sorry."

She studied him intently. "No, you're not."

Inuyasha's face twisted. "I…"

"'Sorry' doesn't make everything better, Inuyasha," she interrupted him quietly. "Even if you mean it."

"What was I supposed to _do_, Kagome?" Inuyasha released her and spread his hands out angrily. "You tell me! I loved Kikyo for a long time, and suddenly, she was there again… not the resurrected, _fake_ Kikyo, but the real thing. It was a shock! I didn't know what to do, so I just went with her. It was all I knew how to do."

Kagome regarded him silently. Inuyasha took her silence as encouragement to keep speaking.

"I _knew_ how to love Kikyo. I knew how to make her happy. It was… it was familiar."

Still, Kagome remained quiet.

"You, on the other hand. You're just… you might look like her, but both of you are completely different. I didn't know how to handle you. Can you blame me? If I said something wrong, you'd immediately subdue me! I couldn't even get a word in edgewise!"

"Hey!" Kagome protested, pulling herself up to glare at him. "I used those beads very sparingly!"

Inuyasha let out a snort of disbelief. Kagome scowled darkly. "I only used them to turn you back into your hanyou form or to allow myself to go home!" she insisted. "I didn't use them for anything else!"

"Bull! You used them when I beat Shippo up, too!"

"Well, he was just a kid! You can't expect me to sit there and watch you beat up an innocent child!"

"Innocent! Innocent, my _foot_!"

"Ooh, you make me so mad! Inuyasha, osu – "

"Don't you _dare_!" The hanyou flung himself forward, one hand moving to cover Kagome's mouth. "I've just spilled my _guts_ out to you, and you're going to 'osuwari' me? That's not fair!"

Kagome gasped as her head connected with the floor, sending a flash of pain up her spine. Inuyasha noticed her flinch and removed his hand from her mouth hurriedly, scooting backwards in case she decided to lash out at him.

"Spilled out your guts?" Kagome spluttered once she regained her voice. "I didn't notice anything of the sort!"

Inuyasha stared at her mulishly and folded his arms across his chest. Kagome's head felt fuzzy as she gazed at him, but her expression softened as she noted how tense he was and how his ears were twitching.

So he wouldn't say it out loud. It would take him some time to feel confident enough to speak those three words aloud. Kagome shook her head slightly and sighed. Maybe he wasn't perfect – he was far from it, actually – but he was _hers_. It would be hard to forgive him for everything, but maybe, maybe they could work it out.

"It's okay. You don't need to say it now. For what it's worth, though – I-I never stopped caring for you."

His eyes softened, and even though he didn't reply, she could read his answer in his gaze. _Me, either._

Sango, who had been standing outside the hut for the past five minutes, wiped at her damp eyes. Really, only Inuyasha and Kagome could express their feelings for each other through a _quarrel_, of all things.

* * *

**AN: I don't think Inuyasha's the type to just tell a girl he loves her in order to make her forgive him…**

**In any case, Kagome hasn't forgiven him _fully_ – but she's forgiven him for now. I think she realizes how hard it is to try something new, after all.**


	19. Chapter Nineteen

_Evergreen_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. If you don't know who owns them already, you must not have read the previous chapters!**

**(It's Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar, by the way…****)**

* * *

CHAPTER NINETEEN

"Uh… guys…?" Sango finally pushed the bamboo mat aside and entered the hut. She had to pretend she hadn't heard anything – although why Inuyasha hadn't picked up her scent, she wasn't sure. Had he really been so wrapped up in his conversation with Kagome?

"You're both alive, then," she spoke brightly, placing the basket of herbs on the ground. She felt someone's gaze on her, and turned her head fractionally to meet Inuyasha's stare with a challenging one of her own. His ears flicked and he gave her a curt nod before turning his attention back to Kagome.

"She hit her head again," the hanyou muttered, looking vaguely abashed. Sango bit back a laugh at Kagome's expression – it was so outrageous, it was almost comical. Forget that, it was _definitely_ comical. Sango watched in amusement as Kagome's mouth worked furiously – but nothing came out.

"You…" Well, that was a start. "You _pig-headed jerk_!" Kagome sat up suddenly and lunged for Inuyasha, but he smoothly evaded her. The woman froze, her face paling alarmingly as her upper body swayed.

Sango exhaled in faint irritation and moved towards her friend's side. "Stop overworking yourself. You need to rest."

"Don't want to," Kagome muttered childishly, glaring daggers at Inuyasha. "I want to rip his head off."

Sango blinked. Since when had Kagome been so… violent? Was the hanyou rubbing off on her? "Sorry, I don't think that qualifies as resting," the demon slayer spoke evenly as she firmly pushed Kagome back onto the sleeping mat. She caught a faint grin flashing across the woman's face and knew that an identical smile would be crossing Inuyasha's face.

Really, they were so _predictable_ sometimes.

"You don't need to pretend in front of me," Sango informed them. She pressed one hand to Kagome's head, ignoring the woman's startled gasp – although whether it was because of her words or because of her hand coming in contact with Kagome's flushed skin, Sango wasn't sure. "Still burning up, I see… I got a few herbs, but I don't think they'll be too helpful. I don't know how to use them, and lady Kaede…" She hesitated.

"I know she's dying." Kagome's voice was quiet, and she was staring at a point past Sango's shoulder. The demon slayer rolled her eyes – Inuyasha had probably informed her in his usual, blunt way. Sango fussed around with Kagome's blankets for a little while before rising and walking towards the hut entrance. She could almost feel how tense the atmosphere became as soon as she began to walk away.

"Sango?" Kagome's voice was uncertain. "Um… d-don't I need to take those herbs?"

Sango turned to face her friends and shrugged. "I don't think they'll help much, like I said. You probably just need peace and quiet. I'll check up on you in a bit, okay?" With those words, Sango all but dashed out of the hut.

Not a very smooth way to leave them alone, perhaps, but it had worked.

* * *

"… is it just me, or did she purposefully leave us alone?" Kagome sat up again and stared at the hut entrance, her eyes wide. Inuyasha snickered, sitting back on his heels and folding his arms.

"It wasn't just you. She was listening in on us for quite a bit," he informed the woman smugly. Kagome's eyes widened further, and she spun on the hanyou. She looked as if she was about to yell at him, but paused with her mouth half-open. Kagome abruptly clenched her jaw and grabbed her head between both hands, muttering expletives under her breath.

Inuyasha stared at her. If this was what the modern era did to innocent Kagome… he didn't want her going back, even if she could.

"Careful." He moved towards her with surprising gentleness, and pried her hands away from her skull. "You should lie back down. Don't sit up like that."

Kagome stared at him blankly, her mouth still open. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and pushed her down, eliciting a protesting groan from her.

"Shut up and rest," he ordered her, flicking some hair out of her eyes. "Or you'll create even more work for me and Sango." Kagome looked like she was about to protest, but she closed her mouth at the last moment and sighed through her nose instead.

"Yeah… I guess you're right…" Kagome turned on one side so that she was facing Inuyasha, her body perpendicular to the sleeping mat. "I'm sorry. I'll try to rest up now."

Inuyasha blinked. Maybe she really was the same old Kagome underneath it all. Or an even more different Kagome - one who actually listened to him. He debated the pros and cons of this new Kagome for a while, before deciding it didn't matter.

"Stupid wench," he muttered, seating himself near her head. "I won't forgive you for that in a hurry."

Kagome rolled her eyes, lacking the energy to do anything else. Like tell him about a number of instances she wouldn't forgive him for in a hurry… he needn't be so cocky just because she'd admitted to caring for him for twelve years. She hadn't mentioned how many times she'd tried to stop, how many times she'd been convinced that her love for him was ridiculous and strived to hate him instead…

Her gaze softened as she realized how anxious the dog demon looked. Inuyasha's eyes were averted from hers, and he was playing with one of his long sleeves. She'd never seen him look so worried before.

"Don't do that again," he told her gruffly. Kagome exhaled.

"We've been through this, Inuyasha. I said I won't, didn't I?" she spoke patiently. "I wasn't thinking straight. It won't happen again."

"Keh." Inuyasha sniffed, but she got the sense that he was relieved. "Good."

Kagome smiled faintly and reached out with one hand, placing it on Inuyasha's bare foot. The hanyou looked startled and moved his gaze to her hand, and then to her face.

"What…?"

"Thanks," she spoke quietly. "Really… thanks."

His angry eyes softened. "Don't worry about it." He scooted closer to her, effectively dislodging her hand from his foot. Kagome breathed out tiredly as her head began to throb once more.

The floor underneath her felt hard all of a sudden. The woman sat up again, causing Inuyasha to let out a growl.

"Lie down," he snapped, pointing to the sleeping mat. Kagome shook her head.

"Too… hard…" Her head throbbed again and she winced. Inuyasha scowled darkly and closed his eyes.

"I guess I have no choice, then."

For one wild moment, she thought he was going to offer her his lap to rest in. Her fantasy, however, fell through as soon as he opened his eyes and shed his fire-rat robe.

"Here. Rest your head on that." He dropped the robe onto her sleeping mat, near where her head had been resting. "Should be more comfortable than the ground."

It wasn't his lap or anything… but Kagome was touched. She offered him a smile of gratitude and allowed her head to sink into the cloth.

It was scratchy, and some of the hair tickled her nose and made her want to sneeze – but she'd never tell him that. She buried her face into it and inhaled deeply, shifting her body so that she was lying on her stomach.

"… what the hell are you trying to do?" Kagome turned her face to view Inuyasha with an exasperated look. Honestly, what did it _look_ like she was trying to do?

"I'm trying to eat your robe, it looks delicious," she deadpanned. Bewilderment flashed across Inuyasha's face for a heartbeat, but it was quickly replaced by a smirk.

"Doesn't it, though?"

Kagome laughed and rested her cheek on the rough material. "No, not really…" She hesitated, before adding boldly, "It sure does smell nice, though."

The hanyou looked confused.

Kagome rolled her eyes. He was still as dense as ever.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything," she told him, fighting back a smile. He looked oddly adorable when he was confused. Just like he had twelve years ago.

Kagome's cheerfulness faded as she realized how little he'd changed in the last twelve years. He didn't look like he'd aged a single day. Whereas she… she had aged quite a lot. She wasn't fifteen anymore.

Kagome raised one hand to touch her face, remembering how she'd noticed all the new creases in Sango's skin. Did she look like that, too? Did she look… _old_? Too old to be with Inuyasha?

He still looked like a teenager, while she was over twenty-five years old. Panic seized her. How could he possibly still want to be with her? She was probably hideous!

Inuyasha noticed that the woman had begun to hyperventilate and scrunched up his nose in worry. What was he supposed to do now? He extended a hand and placed it on her shoulder, unsure of his actions.

"Kagome…?"

"I'm _old_!" she burst out, looking horrified as the words escaped her mouth. Inuyasha stared at her strangely.

"Uhh…"

"What I mean…" Kagome struggled to make sense of her thoughts. "I'm… I'm old. I'm not fifteen anymore." She bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm not… I'm not like _you_. I age quickly…"

Inuyasha still looked puzzled. What was she going on about? Of course she aged. Did she think he hadn't noticed that?

Kagome growled in frustration as the hanyou appeared to be oblivious to the reason for her panic. "What I mean is… you still look the same as you did twelve years ago." She gestured at him with one hand. "I… I don't." Her voice cracked slightly on the last word.

Understanding dawned on Inuyasha's face, and the dog demon shook his head.

"Is _that_ what you're worried about?" he chortled, lifting his hand from her shoulder to grasp at his sides. He bent over, his entire body shaking as he laughed. Kagome glared angrily at him, failing to see what was so funny about the situation.

"_What_?" she snapped impatiently after his chuckles showed no signs of ceasing. Inuyasha straightened his spine and brushed at his eyes with the back of one hand to remove all traces of the tears that had escaped him during his laughter fest.

"Kagome…" A smile played on his lips, and Kagome felt her entire body freeze. "Don't be stupid, you idiot girl. I don't care about that."

"But I…" He'd called her _girl_. How could he call her 'girl' when she looked nearly twice his age?

"You're still Kagome, ain't you?" Inuyasha looked half-amused and half-exasperated. "I don't care about any of that other stuff. You could be a hundred years old, and as ugly as that wrinkled hag Kaede, and my feelings wouldn't change." He paused. "Well…"

Her previous tender feelings were washed away by a surge of outrage. "Why you…!"

"I'm joking!" he protested, holding up his hands as if to shield himself. "I'm jo – _ow_, shit, Kagome, that _hurt_!"

She'd slapped him across the face. Inuyasha gingerly touched his swollen cheek and glared at her.

"It was just a _joke_," he grumbled. "Jeez, you're so goddamn touchy."

"I'm not exactly in a very humorous mood today," she informed him acidly. "It comes from almost suffering heatstroke." _Because of a certain hanyou_'_s reluctance to admit he was wrong…_ The said hanyou sniffed.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry."

Her frigid expression melted. "Me too," she murmured. Kagome propped herself up on her elbows and examined the swelling on his cheek, wincing at the bright red hand print. It reminded her of Miroku, for some reason…

"Sorry." She touched the print gently, drawing her hand back when Inuyasha twitched. He grunted and turned his face away.

"Doesn't hurt. Don't worry about it."

"Didn't you say it hurt a couple of minutes ago?" she teased him. Inuyasha peered at her through one golden eye and allowed a smile to pull at the corners of his mouth.

"It did…"

"Aww," cooed Kagome. "Want me to kiss it all better?" She felt a spark of mischief ignite in her abdomen.

Inuyasha blinked. Well, wasn't she being forward… hadn't it been less than half an hour ago that he'd managed to convince her to forgive him? Still, he wasn't about to pass up such an opportunity…

He smirked and leaned in closer. He felt Kagome's lips press against his cheek and dart away before he could respond. A fit of giggling possessed the woman, and she flailed around on the sleeping mat as she laughed. Inuyasha scowled at her.

"That's not fair…!"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Kagome stopped rolling around and sat up, eying him with a faint smile. "Did you want something else?"

"Uhh…"

"Tough luck," she snapped, prodding him in the chest. "I've just managed to forgive you, don't push your…" She slumped forward, breathing hard as Inuyasha caught her.

"… luck," she wheezed. The hanyou stared at her in annoyance.

"Stop pushing yours, then," he snapped, moving to let her lie down on the sleeping mat again. He wondered what she meant by 'just managed to forgive' him… Kagome stopped him by wrapping her arms around his middle.

"Ssh… just stay like this…"

Inuyasha relaxed his grip on her and allowed her head to rest against his chest as he placed his cheek on top of her head.

"Forever," he promised her quietly.

* * *

Little Kagome crouched by Kaede's bedside, her eyes round and bright. Tears had already dripped down her face and onto the still form of the aged priestess. Kaede wasn't dead – not yet. But she was close.

"Auntie… auntie Kaede… don't die," little Kagome pleaded, reaching down to clasp her aunt's knotted hands. "Please… please don't leave me…"

The priestess's single eye opened and regarded the girl with amazing clarity. For the last few days, Shippo had told her, Kaede had been acting oddly – she'd been barely conscious, and always muttering about evil spirits or something or the other.

This woman's gaze was not mad. It was clear.

"A-auntie…" Little Kagome held back a sob, although her attempt to hide the quaver in her voice was less successful. "Auntie… please…"

"Hush, my child." Kaede's voice was raspy – as if she hadn't used it for years. "I am glad I could see you once more."

"Don't say that…" little Kagome muttered helplessly. "You'll get better in no time… auntie Sango will make you all better…"

The old priestess smiled wryly. "Come now, my dear. You are not so young anymore… you know the truth, do you not?"

Her words triggered a fresh flow of tears, and little Kagome bowed her head over the body of her dear aunt. "I don't want you to die!" she wailed, ignoring the annoyed looks that some of Sango and Miroku's children shot her. "P-please…!"

"Ssh." Kaede closed her eye with a sigh. "Do not grieve, my child. I have lived a full life. I go to join my sister now."

"No!" Little Kagome grasped the ancient woman's hands between her own. "Don't leave before you say goodbye to everyone! To papa! To auntie Sango and uncle Miroku! To…" she cast around wildly in search of another name, "to Kagome!"

Kaede's body seemed to tense. "Kagome?" she rasped out the name. "Kagome is here?"

"Yes, auntie," little Kagome nodded furiously. "I brought her back. She's here."

"Kagome…" The old priestess sighed. "I will say goodbye… she was always a good girl…"

* * *

Kagome pressed her nose against Inuyasha's chest and inhaled deeply. She wanted time to freeze so that she would be trapped in this sweet moment for eternity.

Unfortunately, eternity passes too soon. She felt Inuyasha stiffen, and she reluctantly pulled her arms from around him. The hanyou's ears were twitching wildly, and he was inhaling deeply.

"Kagome…" She could tell he wasn't referring to her. Inuyasha got to his feet and offered her a hand. Kagome grasped his clawed hand and hauled herself up, wondering what was wrong with his daughter.

The young girl pushed aside the bamboo mat moments later, her face streaked with tears. Kagome gasped at the sight, something in her aching to rush forward and embrace the child.

"Ka-kagome… auntie Kaede wants to see you."

* * *

**AN: I like the InuKag moments in this chapter. They strike me as really sweet. (: I think I can manage one more chapter, plus an epilogue… after that, this story will be over. ):**


	20. Chapter Twenty

_Evergreen_

**Disclaimer: Do not own Inuyasha or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**… this fact has not changed… yes, they STILL belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively…**

**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY

"Kaede…" Kagome clasped the ancient woman's hands to her chest and watched her through narrow, shining eyes. Tears had blurred her vision, so she couldn't make out the finer details of the priestess's face. It didn't matter.

"Kagome." It sounded like Kaede was smiling, although she couldn't be sure. Kagome felt immensely grateful for Inuyasha's steadfast silence as he crouched next to her, his arm brushing against hers. The woman swallowed and bobbed her head.

"Y-yes. I'm here." The woman's hands were so knotted and wrinkled… they resembled tree bark more than living skin. Kagome ran her thumb over Kaede's bony knuckles, biting her lip to fight back even more tears.

It was almost silly of her to be weeping. She hadn't seen Kaede in twelve years – even when she had been residing in the feudal era twenty-four/seven, she hadn't been _that_ close to the old priestess. Yes, Kaede had treated her well when she had first arrived through the well – yes, she had helped their group whenever anyone was ill – yes, she'd ignored the muttering from the other villagers – yes, she'd continued to aid Inuyasha even though she suspected him of her sister's death… Kagome sighed. She had thousands of reasons to grieve for Kaede's passing.

"These old eyes are glad to see you again, child," Kaede spoke gently. "Please do not poison my happiness by crying."

Kagome sank her teeth into her lower lip. The sudden pain caused her tears to stop and her senses to clear. She focused on the pain in her lip as she loosened her grip on Kaede's hand and wiped away the last remains of her tears.

"You can't expect me _not_ to cry…"

Kaede smiled faintly. "Hush, now. Do not speak of such things." Kagome swallowed again, her throat dry and tight.

"Just stay with me, my dear. That is enough." Kagome bowed her head in acquiesce and continued to hold the old woman's hands.

"Do you know," Kaede finally spoke after a silence, "even though many said you resembled my sister Kikyo… I never really saw the resemblance."

Kagome blinked. Well, that was the _last_ thing she'd expected to hear at the priestess's deathbed.

"But… but you were the first one to say how much I looked like Kikyo!" she burst out, looking startled. Her grip on Kaede's hands increased, and the old woman winced. Kagome noted her pain and quickly released her hands with a hurried apology.

"You were the one who thought that might be why I was able to appear in your era… you thought I was Kikyo's reincarnation!" Kagome reminded the priestess. Kaede nodded slowly, her single eye clouding over – she could have been speaking to anyone at that moment.

"True enough. But when you released Inuyasha… I realized how wrong I had been."

Kagome suppressed a groan. Was this going to turn into another comparison of Kikyo and herself? How Kikyo might have been the better archer, the better spiritual user, the better healer and the better person – but she, Kagome, at least had _spirit_? She really didn't want to hear this, not so soon after she'd managed to forgive Inuyasha for choosing the priestess over her in the first place… why did everything always have to lead back to Kikyo?

"I-I should go…" Inuyasha's hand fell on her shoulder and effectively held her in place as she tried to rise. Little Kagome, who sat across from her, looked down solemnly at her aunt.

"Stay." Inuyasha's voice was commanding. Kagome deflated and sat back down, although she made no move to pick up Kaede's hands again and shot the dog demon a very nasty glare when she thought he wasn't looking.

"At first glace, you really do resemble my sister," Kaede continued, as if Kagome had never interrupted her. "You have the same hair, the same eyes… but your faces are so different. It's odd how no one seems to notice, isn't it? How her eyes were narrower than yours. How her hair was longer than yours. How her _clothes_ were different than yours… it's strange how people can judge you to be Kikyo's equal merely on the basis of hair and eye color, isn't it?"

Kagome caught her breath.

"Personality-wise, you are both worlds apart… I'm sure you already know that." Kaede shot Kagome a wry smile that no half-dead woman should have been able to muster. "So different… so different…"

Little Kagome inhaled sharply.

"Still, I am glad I met you, Kagome. Although you are far from being my sister, you always represented a link to her… you have such a brightness in you, child, such potential. Such life…" Kaede's mutterings died down, and she looked as if she was talking to herself. Kagome steeled herself to not bend forward.

Inuyasha's hand was still on her shoulder. Kagome tilted her head slightly so that she could see him out of the corner of her eye. He looked unusually grave – even he was being affected by Kaede's deathbed words.

It wasn't until they had been silent for a few minutes that they realized Kaede wasn't breathing anymore.

Kagome froze. Her breath caught in her throat, and she stared blankly at the corpse in front of her – a corpse and nothing more now. Little Kagome tentatively reached out to touch her aunt's face, but retreated as her fingertips came in contact with cold skin. The girl burst into noisy sobs and flung herself across Kaede's body.

"Auntie!" she wailed, digging her fingers in the old priestess's kimono. "Auntie! Please… please come back… don't go, auntie, don't go!"

Kagome moved instinctively. She got to her feet and moved around Kaede's body to restrain the inconsolable girl. Inuyasha watched their interaction silently.

"Kagome…" the woman murmured, her hands resting on the girl's shoulders. "Kagome… ssh…" She attempted to pull the young girl away from her aunt's body, but little Kagome resisted furiously.

"Let me go!" the girl screamed, her face flushing red with anger and grief. "Don't you dare touch me! You did this! She was _fine_ until you came! Get away from me!"

Kagome recoiled as if she had been dealt a physical blow. The woman, who had been kneeling on the ground behind little Kagome, scooted backwards with one hand clamped over her mouth. Inuyasha noted with worry that Kagome's eyes were filling with tears. His daughter continued to sob over her dead aunt's body as Kagome got to her feet and stumbled blindly out of the hut.

Inuyasha tensed. Should he follow Kagome? Or should he stay by his own daughter? He cast little Kagome an uncertain glance. Whatever choice he made, it would be wrong.

_No-win situation…_

How had he managed to get himself into such a situation _again_?

"Kagome." The hanyou patted his daughter's head awkwardly. "Kagome, get up."

The girl refused to listen to him.

"_Kagome_." His voice came out sharper this time.

Little Kagome hiccuped and sat up, scrubbing angrily at her cheeks. Inuyasha watched her impassively, unsure of how to act. Should he try to comfort her? That was what fathers did, right? He inhaled deeply and got up, stepping gingerly over Kaede's body and squatting down by his daughter.

"It's okay to cry sometimes," he told her.

Little Kagome sniffled and turned her face away from his. Inuyasha felt the familiar stir of exasperation in his belly. Dealing with two Kagomes would definitely be tough.

"Okay. That's fine." He got to his feet and glanced down at her bowed head. "Will you be all right?"

She didn't respond. The hanyou exhaled irritably and moved outside.

Time to take care of the other Kagome.

She was seated not far from the hut. Her back was pressed against the trunk of a middle-aged tree, and she was staring ahead blankly. Her knees were drawn up to her chest – a familiar pose – and her chin was nestled between her knees. Her hair was still disheveled and loose.

She looked like a mess.

Inuyasha was careful about how fast he approached her. He stopped a few feet away from her to let her know that he was close to her, but she didn't look. He sighed and closed the distance between them, crouching in front of her and moving his hands towards her arms, wrapped around her legs.

"Kagome…" She looked up, seemingly startled to see him. Her blue-gray eyes flashed with confusion as her brain apparently struggled to put together the pieces.

Finally, comprehension entered her gaze, along with something he'd expected to see – anger. Kagome was _always_ angry. Still, the reason for her anger was different than what he'd expected.

"Inuyasha! You _idiot_! OSUWARI!"

He felt the familiar tug around his neck as the rosary caused his upper half to slam into the ground. His chin collided with her knee and she squeaked in mingled surprise and pain. Kagome shifted so that his face fell towards the ground, rubbing her knee almost absently.

As soon as Inuyasha was able to raise his head, he spat out dirt. Some flecks of mud – dirt mixed with his saliva – stuck to Kagome's face. She brushed them away with the same careless motion she'd used earlier.

"Bitch! What the hell was that for?!" She hadn't 'osuwari'-ed him even _once_ since she'd come, and now she'd sent him face down in the dirt for bothering to care about her?

"For coming out here!" she snapped, equally inflamed. Inuyasha stared at her in disbelief. "You should be taking care of your daughter!" she continued, and he noticed how her eyes were shining again. "Kagome must be really upset… she needs her father to be there for her! And you just waltz out here and _neglect_ her!"

Yes, Kagome _definitely_ had a serious inferiority complex.

"Kagome," he spoke her name gently, and reached out to catch one of her flailing arms by the wrist. "Relax. Ka – my daughter said she'd be fine. She needs some time to sort everything out. She's an independent little girl." He could practically taste the pride on his tongue.

It kind of made him feel sick, but at the same time, it made him feel… nice.

"But you should be there with her!"

"Would you just shut up?" Inuyasha lost his temper. "I'm here with you, ain't I? I think you need me a little more than she does right now."

Kagome looked like she was about to say something else, but she shut her mouth. The hanyou wondered idly how often she'd done that since she'd entered the feudal era again. Had it been twenty-four hours since she'd returned? He glanced up at the sky – no, it wasn't even dusk yet. How slowly the strange day had passed.

"Thanks." Her quiet voice started him from his thoughts, and he glanced up at her. Kagome was looking down at him with a tender expression, and Inuyasha could feel his cheeks heat up under her gaze. He sat up quickly and brushed away any trace of dirt from his face, feeling exceedingly self-conscious.

"You're welcome," he responded in a hushed voice. Kagome smiled slightly and turned her face towards the hut. Little Kagome's sobs had subsided.

"I'm going to go check on her." Kagome got to her feet and headed towards the hut – it was completely devoid of children, since Sango and Miroku had undertaken the mammoth task of introducing all of their children to the village. Never mind that the youngest was only months old – they'd taken Rin with them, too. Kagome suspected it was a ploy to leave them alone with Kaede. They'd probably already paid their respects to the old priestess.

She could feel Inuyasha's gaze on her as she pushed aside the bamboo mat. Little Kagome was curled up next to her aunt's body, and her eyes stared into nothingness. Kagome felt a pang grip her lower abdomen as she viewed the posture of the girl. Little Kagome looked like she was dead.

The girl stirred as late evening sunlight struck her face. Kagome breathed out in relief and crossed the room to sit some distance away from little Kagome.

"You okay?" she questioned gently. Little Kagome stuck her nose in the air and turned away from Kagome. The woman sighed quietly and reached out to place a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Kagome…"

"Don't use that tone with me!" the girl snapped angrily, whirling around to fix Kagome with a hot blue-gray gaze. Kagome froze, startled at the girl's acrimonious tone. Little Kagome glared at the woman in front of her, her entire body trembling with anger.

"I'm not a little kid!" she snarled, the words sliding out through clenched teeth. "I don't need you to take care of me! I've been doing just fine by myself, thank you!"

Kagome inhaled deeply at her words. "I…"

"You _what_? You're sorry?" Kagome flinched as she recognized the girl's tone – it was the same tone she'd taken with Inuyasha, just hours ago. "Too bad. It doesn't solve anything."

"Would you just listen to me?" the woman pleaded, fighting down a wave of irritation and dizziness – she was still feeling the lingering effects of her long walk in the heat. "I know you're upset… about Kaede. I know she was way more important to you than she ever could have been to me. But I want to help you, Kagome… let me help you…"

"I don't want your help," little Kagome responded bitterly.

"But I want to give it to you."

"Would you just listen to yourself? You want to help me? Why? I'm not your daughter, am I?"

Kagome hesitated.

"That's it, isn't it?" little Kagome continued, scrunching up her nose as if the very idea of Kagome being her mother disgusted her. "You think you can take my mama's place. But you can't! You'll never be able to take mama's place!"

Kagome closed her eyes, praying that Inuyasha had been wise enough to retreat so that he could not hear his daughter's words – or hers.

"I know," Kagome admitted. "Believe me, I know I can never measure up to Kikyo. I don't want to be Kikyo for you, Kagome. I won't even try to be a mother to you… i-if you don't want me to. But I want to be your friend. I want to be _Kagome_ for you. Is that all right?"

Little Kagome drew her legs towards her chest and pressed her face against her knees. Kagome felt her chest constrict as the girl began to shake with poorly suppressed sobs.

"She said… she said to bring you home… I thought… I thought…" The girl's broken words made no sense to Kagome, but she shifted closer to little Kagome and wrapped an arm around her. She pressed the girl's head against her collarbone and tried to absorb some of her pain.

"I thought she'd come back!" little Kagome whispered into Kagome's tear-stained shirt. "I thought… I thought you'd be like her… I thought I'd have her back…"

Kagome remained silent and rocked the girl gently. She felt little Kagome's muscles relax as the girl sagged into her body. Kagome hummed under her breath and stroked her hair gently, wondering how long it had been since the girl had had someone to mother her. She had had Kaede, of course, and Sango…

Little Kagome's hands clutched at her shirt, and Kagome stopped humming. She shifted slightly so that she could allow the girl's entire body to rest on her and resumed patting her back with one hand and smoothing her hair with the other.

"Mama…" Kagome didn't react to little Kagome's soft moan, although her heart ached to imagine that the girl was thinking of Kikyo. "Mama…"

"Ssh," Kagome murmured, wishing she could hold the girl to her forever. "Ssh."

She heard a small rustle and felt a warm presence behind her seconds later. Inuyasha knelt next to her and observed his daughter quietly, soundlessly. His golden eyes were narrowed and burned with something akin to shame.

Kagome didn't bother to ask him what he was thinking. She didn't want to break the silence. So she just leaned into him, adjusting her hold on the girl so that she wouldn't fall. Kagome felt Inuyasha's arms wrap around her instinctively, and she rested her cheek on top of the girl's head, sighing softly.

"I'm sorry," Inuyasha murmured into her ear. She smiled.

"I forgive you." It wasn't just Kagome who replied. The girl cradled in her arms had responded, too.

"I forgive you."

* * *

**AN: Aww… I love writing chapters like this… even if it didn't affect you, it affected me loads when I was writing it. (:**


	21. Chapter Twenty One

_Evergreen_

**AN: This is it. The last official chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha and **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_** still don't belong to me… unless Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar decide to gift them to me. Which will never happen, of course.**

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* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Kagome thought she was trying to be sneaky as she slowly inched her way out of Inuyasha's arms. After all, what better way to end an up-and-down day on a high note than for father and daughter(apparently estranged – Kagome hadn't known that…) to embrace? But the hanyou caught her subtle shifts and growled softly, tugging her closer.

"Oh no you don't," he muttered, grinning into her hair. "You're not going to run off and leave me alone with my daughter, wench."

"You do know that most fathers would be thrilled to be given alone time with their daughters…?" Kagome commented. Inuyasha uttered a small snicker and shrugged his shoulders.

"So?"

Kagome sighed. "Get off me," she spoke crossly, untangling her arms from around little Kagome and pushing gently at Inuyasha. "I think you and Kagome need to bond."

Inuyasha frowned. "It feels weird…" he muttered, reluctantly releasing his hold on the woman. "To have two Kagomes in the house. We need to give one of you a different name."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Well, you've always called me 'wench'…"

Inuyasha brightened. "Good idea!" He smirked at her and ducked easily when she sent her left arm swinging towards his head. "Too slow, wench," he teased, straightening his spine and glancing down at the girl who had just been transferred to his lap.

Little Kagome stared up at him as if expecting something. He felt himself grow uncomfortable under her gaze and shifted his eyes to Kagome's face. The woman scowled and pointedly gestured towards the girl, refusing to meet the hanyou's eyes. Inuyasha frowned and looked down at his daughter again, only to be met by the same intent stare.

He cleared his throat. The girl's face brightened ever so slightly, and Kagome watched the two with the air of a middle-aged woman watching her favourite soap opera. The woman made a mental note to find a hair-tie as soon as possible – her hair was starting to get on her nerves.

"Kagome." The older Kagome pressed her lips together and willed herself not to respond. "I, uh…" The hanyou fidgeted and cast Kagome a desperate, 'help me' look. She ignored him. This was something he would have to do by himself.

"I… I haven't exactly been the best father to you." Inuyasha kept his gaze trained on his daughter's face, and something about the openness of her expression encouraged him. "In fact, I think I've been as bad as my own father – worse, in fact, because at least he had a good excuse to abandon my mother and me – "

"He was _dead_, Inuyasha," Kagome interrupted dryly. Inuyasha shot her a small grin.

"Your point? Best excuse there is. 'Oh, sorry kid, I'd help you if I could, but I'm kind of dead…'"

Kagome cleared her throat loudly. "Stop digressing, Inuyasha."

"… what?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "It means stop getting off topic."

"Ah – right, right." Inuyasha directed his eyes towards his daughter again. "Um, sorry about that."

Little Kagome shook her head slowly, a faint smile playing on her lips. Inuyasha fought back a scowl at her expression – it was far too amused. He was trying to apologize to his daughter, dammit! It wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world to do!

"So… basically, I wanted to say I'm sorry." The words tumbled out in a rush, blurred together so that neither of the Kagomes could make out the individual words. Little Kagome's smile morphed into a frown as she stared up at him. Inuyasha avoided her gaze, staring sullenly at the opposite wall.

"Could… could you repeat that, please?"

"I'm sorry." Inuyasha enunciated every syllable slowly, something which earned him a glare from Kagome. "I… I shouldn't have treated you like that."

Little Kagome's lips quirked into a smile, and she wrapped her arms around his middle. Inuyasha started, a little uncomfortable about the physical contact. The girl gave his waist a slight squeeze as she buried her face in his chest.

"I 'lready said I f'rgive you," she mumbled into the cloth of his robe. Inuyasha's eyes darted over to Kagome, who was beaming uncontrollably. Hesitantly, he returned his daughter's hug.

"Thanks."

* * *

"Everything seems okay now." Kagome let out a long, drawn-out sigh as she leaned back against one of the knotted roots of the Goshinboku. "Everyone's sorted everything out, at least."

"Tell that to Miroku," Inuyasha replied dryly, perched on a root not far from Kagome. "He keeps insisting that being married to Sango means he can grope her whenever he wants to. She isn't having it."

Kagome stifled a giggle with one hand and folded her legs underneath her. "Some things never change. I'm glad."

"I don't think he is," the dog demon pointed out. This time, Kagome couldn't hold back her laughter.

"… I didn't think it was _that_ funny…"

The woman wiped tears from her eyes and sat up. "I just needed a good laugh," she assured him brightly. "Don't worry, you could _never_ be that funny… right?"

"Wench." Inuyasha shot her a mock-glare.

"Dog-breath."

"Hey now, you can't steal insults from that damn wolf!"

"What? I can't help it – it's a good one, don't you think?"

"No, I don't! Don't quote that stinking wolf anymore!"

"Oh, Inuyasha," Kagome sighed, extending a hand towards him. He scowled but obligingly moved closer until she could twirl a strand of his hair around one finger. "You can't still be jealous?"

"Bah! It's not about jealousy! It's a man fight!"

"No kidding, only men could be that thickheaded," she muttered and allowed her hand to drop. He sniffed in annoyance and turned his back to her, his ears twitching with indignation. Kagome stared at his red-clad back, her irritation softening.

"Inuyasha…"

He didn't reply, but he did grunt loudly. The noise informed her that he was listening, but he wasn't quite ready to forgive her yet.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome sang quietly, rising to kneel on her knees. The dog demon still refused to acknowledge her presence. Really, Kagome reflected, he could be so _petulant_ sometimes. She brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes and pitched her voice higher.

"Inuyasha-a-a…" She tried to cajole him to look at her. He sniffed again.

Kagome fell silent and got to her feet, moving quietly towards him. His entire body stiffened as his ears turned sideways – he could obviously hear her approaching. She paused behind him and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his chest.

"I'm sorry," she murmured into one of his ears. It was much easier for her to ask for his forgiveness than for him to ask for hers. She didn't mind saying sorry if it meant he would talk to her again, after all. It made her feel kind of pathetic, how willing she was to be close to him, but it made her so happy… Kagome sometimes wondered if she had only one motive in life – to love Inuyasha.

He exhaled slowly and lowered his head to press his cheek against one of her hands. "It's okay," he muttered in reply. Kagome sighed contentedly and nuzzled her nose into his soft silver-white hair.

"I missed this," she admitted quietly. "I missed being with you." _Even though I tried not to._

Inuyasha turned around and pulled Kagome on top of him. Their position was slightly awkward – Kagome's legs dangled inches away from the ground, and her body was contorted as her head rested in the crook of his neck – but she was too happy to care. Inuyasha shifted his body so that she was able to rest more comfortably in his lap.

"I missed you, too. But you wouldn't let me say it." He released a deep chuckle. "You're so hotheaded sometimes."

"Me, hotheaded?" Kagome laughed against his salty skin. "As if. I'm as cool as a cucumber compared to you."

"…" Kagome could picture Inuyasha's puzzled face, and she sighed.

"Forget it." She pulled her face away from his neck to study his features intently. His golden eyes lowered to meet her own blue-gray ones, and she felt a tickle of happiness in the pit of her stomach at the warmth in his gaze.

"You're…" Was it the right time to bring it up? "You're a lot more open than before," Kagome ventured to say, one hand rising to sneak a stroke at Inuyasha's ears. She was too slow, though – they flicked as soon as her fingers drew near, and she released a sigh of disappointment.

"I know what I want now," he replied simply. "I'm not confused anymore."

Kagome scrutinized his face closely, but she couldn't find any signs of hesitation in his eyes. He was telling the truth – at least, she thought he was.

"I was never confused, you know." She allowed her head to drop back into the crook of his neck. "I always knew I wanted to be with you."

She felt him inhale deeply. "I know," he replied quietly.

"I'm sorry… sorry for being so unreasonable when I came back."

"It's okay." She felt him smile into her hair. "That's what makes you Kagome…"

He was being so sweet… almost _too_ sweet. But Kagome didn't have the heart to be suspicious.

"… the ability to be completely unreasonable about anything and everything."

Okay, so maybe he _wasn't_ being too sweet. She should have known his words were too good to be true. Kagome huffed quietly, but allowed a lazy smile to cross her face as he poked her sides playfully.

"Inuyasha?" she murmured, resting her forehead on his skin. "I… I love you."

His entire body tensed.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same way," she hastily added. "At least, not yet. I know I've only just come back after twelve years… and you chose Kik – "

"My God, Kagome," he groaned, pulling her away from him. "Why do you have to bring Kikyo into everything?"

She stared at him uncomprehendingly. "Because you loved her. You were happy with her." Something ugly churned in the pit of her stomach – even after twelve years, she was still jealous of a dead woman.

His eyes darkened slightly. "Yes… yes, I did love her," he admitted softly. "I was happy with her."

Kagome let her arms drop to her sides and gazed stonily at her dirty, unwashed jeans. She was _such_ a glutton for punishment. Why did she have to bring the touchiest topic up? A topic that would only succeed in making her feel inferior and second-choice again.

"So I'm just a replacement," Kagome spoke in a forced tone. "Right?"

"What?!" Inuyasha looked bewildered and craned his head to meet her gaze. "What the hell made you think that?"

"What am I supposed to think?" Kagome replied, more quietly than he'd expected. It worried him. "You won't shut up about her, right?"

"You're the one who brought her up!" he protested. Kagome ignored him, so wrapped up in her familiar jealousy was she.

"Why did you come looking for me after Kikyo died? Was it so that you'd have someone who looked identical to her?"

"_No!_ I… I…"

"Or maybe," she continued caustically, "since the first one was gone, you'd have to content yourself with your second choice. Right?"

"Kagome! Shut up!"

She fell silent, squeezing her eyes shut. A part of her felt disgusted with what she'd said – a large part. Still, it was for the best that she got all of these feelings out, because they would only hinder their relationship if kept hidden.

"I told you earlier." Inuyasha's voice was earnest, and he sounded so young to her. "Kikyo… I knew Kikyo well. I knew how to make her happy. And the fact that she still wanted to be with me even though the Shikon no Tama wasn't there to turn me full human was… was surprising."

Kagome swallowed and fought down tears. Here was her punishment for being so petty and jealous.

"I knew how to love her. I told you, it was familiar. So I went with her. At least I could be sure of my life with her."

What was that supposed to mean? "You didn't think you could be sure of your life with me?" Kagome questioned. "You… did you doubt how strongly I cared about you?"

"No! Nothing like that!" See, _this_ was why he didn't like speaking so much. People always misinterpreted his words. "I knew what kind of patterns my life would follow with her."

Kagome stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"The point is," he sighed as he pressed onwards, "in Kikyo, I chose familiarity. And I was happy with that. I didn't… I hadn't experienced non-familiarity. Do you understand?"

"No."

Inuyasha shut his eyes. Everything in his nature rebelled against the revelation of his most intimate thoughts, but he needed to reassure Kagome that she wasn't just second place.

"I didn't know what life with you would be like," he muttered. "And then, I thought you wanted to be in your own world - a world that has no place for me."

Kagome's gaze was thoughtful as she looked at the hanyou. "So you were afraid to sacrifice something for me," she spoke quietly. "With Kikyo, you didn't need to sacrifice anything, did you? Not even your demon half, since the Shikon no Tama was gone."

Inuyasha flinched.

"You didn't want to sacrifice your own world, in case I chose my own." Kagome's voice was still hushed. "But that isn't fair, Inuyasha. Relationships are about compromises. Even if you didn't notice it, you were still making compromises for Kikyo. Just smaller ones than you'd expected." The hanyou stared at her through narrowed eyes.

Kagome rubbed one hand across her eyes. "So that's why you chose Kikyo? Because you were afraid of change?" she asked him.

Inuyasha lowered his gaze. When she put it like that…

"That was part of it," he admitted. "But you have to understand that I truly did love Kikyo. I was so used to loving her that I couldn't even begin to love someone else."

Kagome exhaled. She remembered all the times Inuyasha had gone running after Kikyo during their quest. She'd always known that he harbored feelings for the undead priestess. At least he'd admitted it now.

"Can you begin now?" she asked him. If he was still pledging part of himself to Kikyo, dead as she was, they couldn't have a future together.

"I… I think so." Trying to lighten the mood, Inuyasha tapped her nose gently. "I don't think it will be so hard." Kagome smiled faintly. Yes, she was still troubled that Inuyasha had loved Kikyo for so long – but was he really any different from herself? Longing after a man in a different era… it had always rankled her how she had never been able to give up on him. Now, it made her proud. Her love for him had lasted for so long.

"Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to say something…"

"Are you going to say something cheesy?" Kagome demanded. Inuyasha looked blank.

"What?"

"Oh, forget it. Carry on." Kagome waved one hand vaguely. Inuyasha grinned slightly and caught her hand, drawing it close. He pressed it against his cheek, then against his eyes, and then against his chest. She felt the rapid thrum of his heart underneath the layers of fabric.

"You… you're the only one I see now, Kagome."

She could feel herself melting against her will. Was he speaking the truth? She fervently hoped so.

"Oh God, you _did_ say something cheesy," she murmured, but more to annoy him than out of annoyance herself. Inuyasha cast her a frustrated glance.

"Damn it, this is why you're so hard to predict, wench! Can't you just be _happy_?"

"Oh, I am," she assured him with a half-smile. It had been four days since she had passed through the well and ended up in the Sengoku Jidai again. She hadn't even thought of the modern era since then…

Kagome's smile faded a little. "I wonder how mama and Souta are doing."

Inuyasha watched her quietly. "Did you try the well again?"

She nodded. She'd tried it only half an hour ago – it still didn't work.

"Don't cry," he reminded her as he drew her closer to him again. She let him. "I don't like it when you cry. It smells bad."

She sniffled and lightly poked his side. "Shut up."

"Kagome…" She raised her head to stare into his eyes. Inuyasha looked vaguely troubled. "I… I'll give them the message, all right? I'll tell them that you missed them, and that you were always thinking of them."

Her heart fell. Of course, Inuyasha, being a hanyou, would most likely be able to see her mother and Souta. His lifespan would probably stretch on for five hundred years more. Her life, on the other hand…

She fought back tears, and heard an alarmed growl come from the man next to her. Inuyasha used one clawed finger to tilt her head upwards. His face was mere inches from hers.

"Don't cry," he repeated. "Please, don't cry. I don't ever want to make you cry again."

She smiled slightly. "You know that will never stick."

He looked annoyed. "Don't you trust my word, wench? If I promise not to make you cry, then I won't!"

"Oh, Inuyasha," she sighed softly. "Of course I trust you. You know that."

His angry expression softened. "Yeah. I know that."

Without a word, she wrapped her arms around him again and felt his chest rumble as he let out a contented growl. Kagome closed her eyes and pressed one cheek against his chest, so that her ear was positioned right above his heart. The steady beat comforted her almost as much as the arms around her and the lips at her hair.

It would take time for them to learn how to love each other properly again. She wasn't worried about that. Even if it took years – if she was old and wrinkled by the time Inuyasha finally said those three important words to her – it didn't matter.

At least she was back with him. Kagome idly wondered how her professors at university had reacted to her sudden disappearance. She wasn't quite able to stifle her ungraceful snort. Inuyasha shifted at the sound, evidently confused.

"What're you laughing for?" he demanded. Kagome grinned against his chest.

"It's nothing important." Another snicker escaped her, and she felt herself being pulled away from his body so that he could scrutinize her. The hanyou looked put out.

"Just spill it out," he snapped. Kagome fought down her smile and shook her head, her laughter fading.

"It's really nothing," she assured him. He grunted and allowed her to snuggle against him again. Kagome turned her body so that her back was against his chest, and he loosely wrapped one arm around her waist. Her head rested just below his shoulder, and her hands clasped the arm around her waist.

"K'gome?" he mumbled.

"Mm?" she replied distantly, her eyes glazing over as she stared ahead. "What is it?"

He hesitated, and then seemed to make up his mind about something. "I…"

Kagome blinked and turned her face so that she could catch sight of his expression. He looked unusually serious, and almost… bashful?

"Go on," she encouraged him gently.

"I… oh, forget it," he muttered, turning his head away from hers. His ears twitched self-consciously. "It's nothing."

Kagome was quiet. She had the feeling that what he'd had to say was far from nothing. Still, she allowed her body to slump into his once more, and inhaled deeply. Even if he hadn't said it out loud, she could still imagine he'd said it in her head, couldn't she?

* * *

**AN: Lame, lame, lame. I know. Sorry! Fluff is… oddly hard for me to write. With Kagome and Inuyasha, at least. I tried really hard to keep them in character, but I don't think I succeeded.**

**I've posted these three chapters at the same time, but on the other hand, the epilogue will take quite a while. Sorry, guys.  
**


	22. Epilogue

_Evergreen_

**AN: The epilogue... and, would you believe, the return of Koga?**

**Disclaimer: For the last time in this fan fiction(with stress on the **_**fan**_**), I do not own any part of **_**InuYasha **_**or **_**Kuch Kuch Hota Hai**_**.**

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* * *

**EPILOGUE

The moon was invisible, but the night sky was still lit by the bright light of countless stars. The village was quiet, and most villagers were already asleep – which was a blessing, as none of them saw the dirt kicked up by a pair of very real demon feet.

Koga the wolf demon skidded to a halt a few feet away from Sango and Miroku's dwelling, hardly winded. Even though the Shikon shards had been taken from his legs, he still possessed the ability to run far faster than most other creatures, demon or man. His bushy brown tail twitched behind him as he stalked up to the doorway, chortling under his breath.

"Wait till he finds out _I_ found her..."

Koga took a deep breath, preparing to yell his revelation into the peaceful hut. The words 'I found your daughter, mutt!' were already on his tongue when the bamboo mat was drawn aside and he met a very familiar pair of blue-gray eyes.

"Oh." Little Kagome eyed him quizzically, noting his disappointed expression. "I guess he already found you."

"Er..." The girl wasn't entirely sure how to respond. "I guess he did?"

Koga shrugged. "That's okay. As long as you're safe." He flashed her a winning smile, and little Kagome fought back the urge to shout at him. His charm was genuine, it was true, but he was a little too stifling in her opinion.

"So, where's the mutt?" he asked, ducking under the mat and moving past the girl. "I know he's in... oh."

Little Kagome rolled her eyes. "You _did _notice that there was no moon, right?"

Inuyasha looked sullen as he met the wolf demon's blue gaze with his own violet eyes. "I should've known the night could get worse. Thanks for screwing up my mood _again_, you mangy wolf."

"No problem," grinned Koga, patting little Kagome's head fondly. "I see you found your daughter. Where was she?" Little Kagome squirmed away from his touch and returned to her father's side, dabbing at a gash on his cheek with a wet rag.

"None of your business," the half-demon snapped in reply. "She's safe at home now, and that's all that matters."

Little Kagome pondered the irony of having _two_ demon guardians in a village that didn't particularly like them. What would that do to her future?

"How long's it been since you found her? Her scent's strong here."

"Three months. She wasn't gone long. Where the hell were you in the meantime, huh?"

Koga looked vaguely guilty. "Well... I was looking for her, I really was. After all, I'm her protector! But then Ginta and Hakkaku came across me and told me about trouble up north, so I had to return. Turns out it wasn't anything major, just a squabble between two she-wolves – they're always so touchy – and then I came right back."

Little Kagome raised her eyebrows. "Really."

Koga sighed. "All right, so I had to stay back a little longer. I _do_ have a family of my own, and I hadn't seen them in a long time." He grinned, baring his sharp canines. "My pups have grown so big! They'll be ready to lead the pack in no time."

Little Kagome managed a smile at that. Whatever she had against Koga, he was a true family man – er, demon.

"So here I am, and I was about to rub it in your face that I found your daughter before you... but I didn't get the chance to." Koga scowled for a moment. "Darn."

He looked so childish that the girl couldn't help but laugh. Koga winked at her, and she smiled back. He wasn't really so bad, after all, it seemed. First impressions could be misleading.

At the thought of first impressions, the smile slid off her face.

Inuyasha noticed this and grunted. "Relax, kid. She'll be back eventually. If you want to see her so bad, you can always walk over."

"As if!" Little Kagome wrinkled her nose at the thought. "But she's been away a month, and being all alone in that hut..."

Koga blinked, looking entirely confused. "Excuse me... what?"

"Kagome," the two replied in unison. Koga tilted his head to one side.

"You're... not talking about this one, right?" He pointed to little Kagome, who bristled at being called 'this one' but kept her tongue in her mouth.

"No," Inuyasha replied, sitting up and brushing his daughter's anxious hands away. "I mean Kagome Higurashi."

Koga's blue eyes grew impossibly wide. The Koga of old would have already raced off to claim 'his woman', but Koga had grown in twelve years, and had a family of his own to look after. He knew perfectly well that Kagome wasn't his woman anymore – had she ever been in the first place? But something about Inuyasha's shifty eyes...

"I'll ask how she got back myself," he nodded decisively, "but why'd she go away? Where's she living? I can't believe you're letting her live alone, it can be so dangerous!"

"Just try and stop her," Inuyasha grumbled, squeezing the ends of the wound on his cheek together. His daughter squeaked in shock and slapped his hands away, making him growl in frustration. Koga chuckled at the sight – it seemed Inuyasha was still kept in place.

"She's living at auntie Kaede's," little Kagome replied to one of Koga's questions, pressing the rag back on her father's wound. "She just refuses to come back here. She told auntie Sango and uncle Miroku that it's because there isn't enough space, but we know better."

Koga ignored Inuyasha and addressed little Kagome. "What happened? Did the mutt say something?"

"Yeah," little Kagome spoke matter-of-factly. Inuyasha spluttered in indignation and yanked away from her touch.

"I can't believe you're acting like this when I did it for you!"

"I didn't _ask_ you to!" little Kagome replied heatedly. "She was just being _nice_! I'm allowed to have someone mother me once in a while, papa!"

Inuyasha scowled. "Don't talk back," he muttered, but the reprimand was half-hearted.

Koga smirked. "I knew it."

He switched his gaze to Inuyasha. "So, what'd you say?"

"Nothing," the half-demon muttered, his scowl deepening. "She's just so _sensitive – _"

"You're such a goddamn jerk, Inuyasha!" Koga laughed softly at the familiar screech that came from the doorway. Kagome stood there, a basket in her arms and an angry look on her face.

"I can't believe you think that was 'nothing'!" she snarled, dropping the basket with a thud. Sango raised her head from her sleeping mat and mumbled something. Two of the children muttered, and Kagome immediately lowered her voice, although there was no mistakening the venom in her tone.

"You told me off for such a stupid thing – you haven't changed at all! I still can't believe you!"

"And _you_ haven't changed at all, either!" Inuyasha shot back, pushing off his blankets and standing up. "God, Kagome, stop overreacting! I thought you'd gotten more mature over the years, but you _still_ go into hysterics about the dumbest things!"

"What... I... you..." Kagome seemed to be unable to form a coherent sentence. "You think that my concern is _dumb_?" she finally answered, looking less homicidal and more annoyed. "Excuse me for caring about your daughter – a girl I hoped to one day see as _my_ daughter!"

Little Kagome flinched.

"Sorry," Kagome apologized immediately, shooting the girl a questioning look. "But honestly, I'm sorry for caring about her. I just wanted to become more familiar with her."

"She's already told you, she doesn't want another mother..."

"And I'm not trying to be one! God, Inuyasha, you think I don't know how that feels? I lost a parent, too, remember?" Kagome's cheeks were flushed, and some of her dark hair had escaped its bonds. It stuck to her neck and the sides of her face, and she brushed it away impatiently. "I was just trying to help her. And then you come along and say 'stop that, Kagome, you know she doesn't want that' and you sound so stupidly _annoyed_! Why the hell would you be annoyed, Inuyasha? Do you not want me as a part of your life?"

"Don't get all insecure on me, wench!"

"Don't _call_ me that! You know I don't like that name!"

"Wench, wench, wench!"

"You are so _irritating_!"

"And you're so sensitive! God, it's such a girly thing..."

"Hey!" little Kagome protested. Koga shook his head and placed his hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Come on, Kagome. Let's go let mommy and daddy cool off together, yeah?"

Little Kagome opened her mouth to tell him that Kagome was not, in any way or form her mother, when she glanced at the woman and saw her arguing heatly with her father. Her face was flushed and she had her hands on her hips, her actions less jerky and more calm. Inuyasha, on the other hand, seemed to be fumbling for words. The girl smiled slightly.

"Yeah, okay."

She'd let it slide. Just this once.

_Fin_.

* * *

**AN: A terrible epilogue, I know. Doesn't conclude much, but I'm not good at endings. Sorry for any disappointment about characterization or the plot or whatever. To those of you who actually enjoyed everything – thanks, you guys, it makes me happy. (: Sorry for the short epilogue, too.**

**Let me know what you think of my newest idea – it's on my profile page. Until next time!**


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